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The Role of Cow’s Milk Consumption in Breast Cancer Initiation and Progression
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Researchers reviewed evidence linking cow's milk consumption to estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer risk, identifying multiple potential drivers including hormones like IGF-1, microRNAs in milk, and contaminants such as microplastics, nanoplastics, and bisphenol A. The authors argue that commercial milk deserves more scrutiny as a breast cancer risk factor, particularly during vulnerable periods like puberty, and that dietary guidelines may need to be reconsidered.
Recent prospective cohort studies support the association between cow's milk consumption and the risk of estrogen receptor-α-positive (ER+) BCa. Milk is a complex biological fluid that increases systemic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin and estrogen signaling, and interacting hormonal promoters of BCa. Further potential oncogenic components of commercial milk include exosomal microRNAs (miR-148a-3p, miR-21-5p), bovine meat and milk factors, aflatoxin M1, bisphenol A, pesticides, and micro- and nanoplastics. Individuals with BRCA1 loss-of-function mutations and FTO and IGF1 gain-of-function polymorphisms enhancing IGF-1/mTORC1 signaling may be at increased risk for milk-induced ER+ BCa. Recent prospective epidemiological and pathobiochemical studies identify commercial milk consumption as a critical risk factor of ER+ BCa. Large meta-analyses gathering individuals of different ethnic origins with milk derived from dairy cows of varying genetic backgrounds and diverse feeding procedures as well as missing data on thermal processing of milk (pasteurization versus ultra-heat treatment) make multi-national meta-analyses unsuitable for BCa risk estimations in susceptible populations. Future studies are required that consider all vulnerable periods of breast carcinogenesis to cow's milk exposure, beginning during the perinatal period and puberty, since these are the most critical periods of mammary gland morphogenesis. Notwithstanding the need for better studies including detailed information on milk processing and vulnerable periods of human breast carcinogenesis, the available evidence suggests that dietary guidelines on milk consumption may have to be reconsidered.
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Impact of milk and dairy consumption on the development and progression of breast cancer
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This review examines evidence linking bovine milk consumption to breast cancer risk, noting that milk contains potentially carcinogenic compounds including exosomal microRNAs, aflatoxin M1, bisphenol A, pesticides, and micro- and nanoplastics that may promote estrogen receptor-positive tumors.
Microplastics, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, and Heavy Metals in Milk: Analyses and Induced Health Risk Assessment
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Researchers detected microplastics, cancer-linked PAH chemicals, and heavy metals in multiple brands of commercial and raw milk samples. The microplastics were mostly fibers made of polyamide, polyurethane, and polyester, and children were estimated to consume up to four times more microplastics per unit of body weight than adults through milk consumption, highlighting dairy as an overlooked exposure route.
Microplastics and mammary carcinogenesis: A review of in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence
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This review pulls together lab and animal studies looking at how microplastics might affect breast tissue, and finds that these tiny plastic particles can get inside breast cells, trigger cell stress and inflammation, and disrupt normal cell growth patterns linked to cancer development. While this doesn't prove microplastics cause breast cancer in people, it's an early warning sign worth taking seriously—especially since microplastics have already been found in breast milk and breast tissue. More research is needed to know if these lab findings translate to real-world health risks.
Breastfeeding in a Polluted World: Perspective on the Properties of Breast Milk and the Need for Protection
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This review examines the composition and protective properties of breast milk as a biological fluid evolved to support infant health, while raising concern about the growing detection of environmental contaminants including microplastics and endocrine disruptors in breast milk.
Microplastics in Dairy Products: Occurrence, Characterization, Contamination Sources, Detection Methods, and Future Challenges
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Researchers reviewed 17 studies on microplastic contamination in milk and dairy products and found concentrations ranging from undetectable to over 10,000 particles per kilogram, with baby milk powder showing the highest levels. The most common plastics found were polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, and polyester, including some types considered harmful to human health. The study highlights that dairy products are particularly susceptible to microplastic contamination from packaging, processing equipment, and the environment.
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