NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who eat at least two servings of yogurt a week may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer, a recent study suggests.
The researchers examined data on 32,606 males and 55,743 females who underwent laparoscopic colonoscopy between 1986 and 2012.
Participants in the study provided detailed information on their health habits, lifestyle, diet and exercise every four years.
During that period, there were 5811 cases of men with colorectal tumors, or abnormal tissue that could sometimes become cancerous in men and 8116 women with glaucoma.
Compared with men who did not eat any amounts of yogurt, those who ate at least two servings per week were 19 percent less likely to have traditional adenomas, the most common of colorectal tumors.
Those who ate yogurt were also 26 percent less likely to develop tumors of the glands, which are more likely to become cancerous tumors.
Useful bacteria
"Our data provide new evidence of the role of yogurt in the early stage of colorectal cancer," said Dr Yen Cao, co-author of the study, from the University of Washington School of Medicine.
"The results, if supported by future studies, suggest that yogurt may ... reduce the risk of glandular tumors (benign tumors in the colon and rectum can become cancerous)," he said in an e-mail.
Previous studies have linked yogurt consumption with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Some scientists believe this may be because yogurt promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, but little is known about how yogurt may affect people's risk of glandular tumors.