Milk Components as Cancer Chemopreventive Agents

Since milk and dairy products constitute very important ingredients of the western style diet, a large number of epidemiological studies have been conducted to determine effects of their consumption on neoplastic development. However, reflecting the variety of included components, the data are to some extent equivocal. It has been proposed that whereas fats in general might promote tumour development, individual milk fats like conjugated linoleic acid and glycosh\ingolipids could exert inhibitory effects. There is also considerable evidence that calcium in milk products protects against colon cancer, while promoting in the prostate through suppression of circulating levels of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D. Whey protein may also be beneficial, as shown by both animal and human studies, and experimental data have demonstrated that the major component bovine lactoferrin (bLF), inhibits colon carcinogenesis in the post-initiation stage in male F344 rats treated with azoxymethane (AOM) without any overt toxicity. Results in other animal models have provided further indications that bovine lactoferrin might find application as a natural ingredient of milk with potential for chemoprevention of colon and other cancers.