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Calcium and Cancer

  • Chapter
Bioactive Compounds and Cancer

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Key Points

1. The importance of calcium and vitamin D acting together has long been recognized for skeletal health. Evidence now suggests that calcium and vitamin D are important in the prevention of cancer.

2. Clinical studies suggest that optimal calcium and vitamin D nutrition can prevent from 30 to 77% of various types of cancer.

3. High calcium intake has shown to have a protective effect against colon cancer. Experiments show that unabsorbed calcium in the lumen of the colon can prevent the adverse effects of bile acids and free fatty acids on the epithelial cells.

4. Calcium is shown to have a positive effect against cancer through its regulation of cell division, proliferation, and differentiation. Increased calcium concentrations in cell and organ culture media show decrease in cell proliferation and stimulate cell differentiation in numerous types of cells.

5. Numerous studies have evaluated the association between breast cancer and calcium intake. Most of the case–control studies found an inverse association between dietary calcium intake and risk of breast cancer. At least four cohort studies have evaluated the effect of dietary calcium on incidence of breast cancer and found a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer associated with higher dietary calcium.

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  1. Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA

    Joan M. Lappe PHD, RN, FAAN

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  1. Nutritional Science Research Group Division of Cancer Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Executive Plaza North Suite 3164 6130 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD, 20892, USA

    John A. Milner

  2. Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0038, Shantz Building, USA

    Donato F. Romagnolo

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Lappe, J.M. (2010). Calcium and Cancer. In: Milner, J.A., Romagnolo, D.F. (eds) Bioactive Compounds and Cancer. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-627-6_20

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