A Petition To Add Breast Cancer Warning On Cheese

From ZME Science:

In light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, members of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) are requesting the FDA to label cheese in accordance to studies which found that it raises the risk of several types of cancer — including breast cancer.

“Dairy cheese contains reproductive hormones that may increase breast cancer mortality risk,” the label would read.

The world “cheese” is derived from a Latin word “caseus” which means to ferment. Cheesemaking began at least 8,000 years ago around the time when sheep were first domesticated, as a way to keep dairy edible for longer periods of time. Today, the world has access to hundreds of types of cheese, and we just can’t seem to get enough of it. But while it’s undoubtedly tasty, cheese can have some unwanted health effects..

Studies analyzing the link between cheese and cancer have not always yielded clear results. Virtually all studies of this type are observational — they observe a connection, not causation. Based on a systematic review of the epidemiologic literature, there is a probable association between milk intake and lower risk of colorectal cancer, a probable association between diets high in calcium and increased risk of prostate cancer, and limited evidence of an association between milk intake and lower risk of bladder cancer. For other types of cancer, the risks were less clear.

Get more HERE.

Featured image credit: ZME Science.

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