Potential Benefit of Yogurt for Decreasing the Risk of Some Types of Colorectal Cancer

March 2025

A recent study suggests that long-term yogurt intake may have a protective effect against colorectal cancer by promoting beneficial changes to the gut microbiome.

Researchers focused on Bifidobacterium, a type of beneficial bacteria commonly found in yogurt, and analyzed data from over 132,000 men and women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The researchers aimed to understand whether the relationship between yogurt consumption and colorectal cancer incidence varied based on the level of Bifidobacterium bacterial DNA present in the tumour.

Questionnaires were used to assess participants’ lifestyle factors and disease outcomes, including their average daily intake of yogurt (plain and flavoured). Tissue samples were also assessed from participants who had confirmed cases of colorectal cancer, and Bifidobacterium DNA levels were measured.

Among the 3,079 colorectal cancer cases identified, approximately 30% of patients with colorectal cancer had detectable levels of Bifidobacterium DNA in their tumours, while approximately 70% of patients had tumours that were Bifidobacterium-negative.

The findings showed that long-term yogurt consumption of two or more servings of yogurt per week lowered the incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive colorectal cancer by 20%.

These results indicate that yogurt consumption may have a cancer-protective effect, but only for specific subtypes of colorectal cancer tumours. More research is needed to fully understand how Bifidobacterium might contribute to this relationship.