Yogurt, milk and breast cancer risk across eight studies in women
What it found
Across eight studies in women, yogurt intake showed no link to breast cancer risk.
The same was true for whole milk and low-fat milk.
What they found
Studies in people
Yogurt and breast cancer
Four studies looked at yogurt. Women who ate the most yogurt had about the same breast cancer risk as those who ate the least.
Whole milk and breast cancer
Eight studies examined whole milk. Drinking more whole milk was not linked to higher or lower breast cancer risk.
Low-fat milk and breast cancer
Three studies checked low-fat or skim milk. Higher intake did not change breast cancer risk.
Other findings
Vitamin D differences
In some countries like the United States, vitamin D is added to milk, but this varies by region. This makes it hard to compare studies from different places.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the available evidence does not support a strong link between milk products and breast cancer risk.
- They call for larger studies worldwide to check this relationship further.
- They suggest future research should look at specific factors like hormones and environmental contaminants in milk.
How it was done
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and rates differ between countries with different dairy habits. Milk contains things that might raise or lower cancer risk, so the authors wanted a clearer picture of any connection.
The authors combined data from 8 published case-control studies looking at women who did and did not develop breast cancer. They separately examined low-fat or skim milk, whole milk, and yogurt. The studies came from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Japan, and a large European project.
What it can’t tell you
- These studies compared groups of people over time, so they can show a link but cannot prove cause and effect.
- What counts as high or low intake varied widely between countries, making exact comparisons difficult.
- The studies also could not separate the effects of dairy from other foods eaten at the same time.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
- Authors work at
- 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team, P.R. China
The paper
- Title
- Milk and yogurt intake and breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis
- Type
- Meta-analysis
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Chen L, Li M, Li H (2019). Milk and yogurt intake and breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis. Medicine. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014900Free full textPubMed 30896640DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error