A high intake of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a kind of fat found naturally in cow's milk, significantly lowers risk of bowel cancer, according to a new study.

60,000 Women Over 15 Years

Middle-aged women who reported having the highest intake of CLA during the late '80s were about 30 percent less likely to have developed bowel cancer within the following 15 years. Data from over 60,000 women were analyzed.

Even further, those who ate at least four servings of high-fat dairy foods each day had a 41 percent lower risk of bowel cancer than those who ate less than one. Each increment of two servings of dairy products equaled a 13 percent reduction in a woman's colon cancer risk.

Increases Some Risks, Decreases Others

Milk-based products have been linked to increased risk of other cancers, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, but both milk and calcium have been associated with a lower bowel cancer risk in several previous studies.

Current research has usually focused on calcium as the potential mechanism for this. Few if any other studies have evaluated the role of CLA.

Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease worldwide.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition October 2005; 82(4): 894-900 Food Navigator USA.com October 10, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment:You may recall that cancer, NOT heart disease, is now America's top killer.In my book, any natural strategy that cuts your risk of the top killer by half is worth looking into more seriously.

CLA is one such potent cancer-fighter, for as little as 0.5 percent in your daily diet could reduceyour risk of colon cancerby more than 50 percent.

CLA is primarily in dairy products produced from cows that were not fed grain. Much of the animals' ability to produce CLA is shut down the moment they start eating foods they were not designed to eat like grains.

If you are eating commercial beef you can rest assured that the last three months of that steer's life it was fed grain in a feedlot prior to slaughter. This is unfortunate as their CLA production is virtually shut off.Grass-fed cattle typically have 500 percentmore CLA than commercial grain-fed beef.

Of the various types of dairy foods assessed in this study the strongest protection for cancer was seen with cheese. That is great news as that is probably the easiest way to obtain grass-fed raw milk. There are far less restrictions on its sale and it is widely available in every state.

It is important to undestand that the pasteurization processcan actually change the three dimensionalstructure of the fragile milk proteins (especially casein) and convert them into proteins your body was never designed to handle. This frequently results in health complications.

Pasteurized milk is inferior to raw milk in a number of importantways as it:

• Increasestooth decay

• Has a lower calcium content

• Has a lower A, B, and C vitamin content

• Dramatically increases allergic reactions and effects on your health

If you are concerned about potential health risks from drinking raw milk I suggest you review my article on why raw milk is becoming more popular. If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer in your area who sells raw milk, I encourage you to visit the Real Milk Web site to locate a source close to you.

If you are interested in lowering your risk of colon cancer and you are unable to easily secure raw milk, I would encourage you to seek grass-fed, organic, raw milk cheese in your local health food store. BUT please make sure it is grass-fed.