Calcium Found to Help Colorectal Health in Women

by | Apr 28, 2009 | 2009, Calcium, Cancer, Colorectal (Colon)

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Women with the highest combined calcium intake from both supplements and food had a 21% reduced risk of colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest calcium intake. 

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is estimated to have caused about 52,180 deaths (26,000 men and 26,180 women) in 2007 (1). With an average cost of between $35,000 and $80,000 for direct medical care for each cancer episode, total cost for treatment of anticipated new cases in 2007 is estimated at $8.3 billion (2).

Now a new study (3) has found that calcium, shown in 2005 to help colorectal health (4), is still a benefit for women. In the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 500,000 patients aged 50 to 71 from The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) study (5) who completed a 124 food-item questionnaire on their calcium intake from both food and supplements.

The researchers found that while calcium intake was not associated with overall cancer risk, there was a significant decreased risk of colorectal cancer in women. Specifically, those with the highest combined calcium intake (>1248 mg of calcium per 1000 calories of food per day) from both supplements and food had a 21% reduced risk of colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest calcium intake from both supplements and food (< 478 mg calcium per 1000 calories of food per day).

When looking at a possible mechanism for calcium’s health effects, the researchers cited that “Calcium has been shown to reduce proliferation, to stimulate differentiation, and to induce [natural cell death] in cells in the gastrointestinal tract and breast” (6,7). They then concluded that “calcium intake is associated with a lower risk of…cancers of the digestive system, especially colorectal cancer.”

Source: Park, Yikyung, et al. “Dairy food, calcium, and risk of cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.” Archives of internal medicine 169.4 (2009): 391-401.

©2009 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Posted April 28, 2009.

References:

  1. “What Are The Key Statistics For Colorectal Cancer?” posted on The American Cancer Society website.
  2. Wei EK, Giovannucci E, Selhub J, Fuchs CS, Hankinson SE, Ma J. Plasma vitamin B6 and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women. J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97:684–92.
  3. Park Y.  Dairy Food, Calcium, and Risk of Cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.  Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):391-401.
  4. Meunier, P. J. (1999). “Calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K in the prevention of fractures due to osteoporosis.” Osteoporos Int 9 Suppl 2: S48-52.
  5. Schatzkin A, Subar AF, Thompson FE; et al. Design and serendipity in establishing a large cohort with wide dietary intake distributions: the National Institutes of Health–American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;154(12):1119-1125.
  6. Lamprecht SA, Lipkin M. Chemoprevention of colon cancer by calcium, vitamin D and folate: molecular mechanisms. Nat Rev Cancer. 2003;3(8):601-614.
  7. Jacobson EA, James KA, Newmark HL, Carroll KK. Effects of dietary fat, calcium, and vitamin D on growth and mammary tumorigenesis induced by 7,12- dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Cancer Res. 1989; 49(22):6300-6303.