Higher calcium intake may prevent cancer

Women with a higher intake of calcium have a lower risk of cancer overall, and both men and women with high calcium intakes have less  chance of digestive cancers, according to a report in the Archives of  Internal Medicine.

Scientists analyzed data from 293,907 men and 198,903 women who  participated in US the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and  Health Study. Participants took a food-frequency questionnaire when they  enrolled in the study between 1995 and 1996, and their records were then  linked with cancer registries through 2003.

The one-fifth of men who consumed the most calcium through food and  supplements (about 1,530mg per day) had a 16% lower risk of these types  of cancer than the 20% who consumed the least (526mg per day). For  women, those in the top one-fifth of calcium consumption (1,881mg per  day) had a 23% lower risk than those in the bottom 20% (494mg per day).  The decreased risk was particularly pronounced for colorectal  cancer.