Recent study shows that dietary calcium reduces CRC risk by 17%

January 2025

A study conducted by Cancer Research UK involving more than 500,000 women over a period of 17 years confirmed that dietary calcium lowers the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

The study, led by the University of Oxford, followed the intake of 97 different dietary factors – including alcohol consumption, red meat and processed meat consumption, and calcium intake -among the study participants. Throughout the 17-year study period, around 12,000 participants developed colorectal cancer.

The relative risk of developing colorectal cancer was calculated for the intake of all 97 dietary factors. Calcium intake had the strongest protective effect, with each added 300mg of calcium per day (equal to a serving of 6oz of yogurt, or 1 glass of daily milk or fortified plant-based milk) linked to a 17% reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer.

The study determined that the protective effect of calcium was independent of dairy milk consumption, with the researchers concluding that while “dairy products help protect against colorectal cancer, and that this is driven largely or wholly by calcium”.