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Nonprofit organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has called on the federal government to consider adding label to cheese products that would warn women about the risk of breast cancer. Doctors said hormones found in cow milk-based cheese could contribute to development of the disease.
PCRM sent a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) early in October as part of its campaign during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Insider reported Monday. The document highlights a study that found high-fat cheese products could increase breast cancer risk by 53 percent in women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers breast cancer as the second most common cause of death for women in the country. The disease affects more than 240,000 women every year and causes more than 40,000 deaths.
PCRM aims to promote plant-based nutrition and lower consumption of animal products for better health. Up to 12,000 members agreed with the findings that cheese made from cow’s milk could be harmful.
They are concerned with the hormones that can be transferred to cheese from cows during the manufacturing process. These potentially harmful hormones include IGF-1, which has been directly linked to breast cancer.
"Instead of cheese manufacturers slapping a pink ribbon on products as they have done during previous Breast Cancer Awareness Months, they should be adding warning labels," Neal Barnard, president of PCRM, said in a press release. "We want women to be aware that dairy cheese could put them at risk of dying from breast cancer."
However, women can still continue eating some cheese and other dairy products, PCRM noted. Adding low-fat dairy products to diets could also offer some benefits, such as lower risk of cancer.
The Mediterranean diet can be the best approach for people who want to add more cheese to their daily meals. This diet has been considered as one of the healthiest in the world because of a good combination of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.
No Danger In Cheese
One nutritionist expressed concerns with the study cited by PCRM in their petition. Keri Gans said the research involved too many variables to directly link cheese to breast cancer risk.
Women’s lifestyle and some dietary factors should be considered. She said a well-balanced diet would allow women to avoid the negative effects of cheese by managing daily consumption and intake of saturated fat.
"There is no danger in cheese," Gans added. "We can't blame anything on one particular food, as much as we might like to. We need to look at a person's total diet. I'm not convinced and I'm not sure the consumer should be either."
PCRM sent a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) early in October as part of its campaign during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Insider reported Monday. The document highlights a study that found high-fat cheese products could increase breast cancer risk by 53 percent in women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers breast cancer as the second most common cause of death for women in the country. The disease affects more than 240,000 women every year and causes more than 40,000 deaths.
PCRM aims to promote plant-based nutrition and lower consumption of animal products for better health. Up to 12,000 members agreed with the findings that cheese made from cow’s milk could be harmful.
They are concerned with the hormones that can be transferred to cheese from cows during the manufacturing process. These potentially harmful hormones include IGF-1, which has been directly linked to breast cancer.
"Instead of cheese manufacturers slapping a pink ribbon on products as they have done during previous Breast Cancer Awareness Months, they should be adding warning labels," Neal Barnard, president of PCRM, said in a press release. "We want women to be aware that dairy cheese could put them at risk of dying from breast cancer."
However, women can still continue eating some cheese and other dairy products, PCRM noted. Adding low-fat dairy products to diets could also offer some benefits, such as lower risk of cancer.
The Mediterranean diet can be the best approach for people who want to add more cheese to their daily meals. This diet has been considered as one of the healthiest in the world because of a good combination of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.
No Danger In Cheese
One nutritionist expressed concerns with the study cited by PCRM in their petition. Keri Gans said the research involved too many variables to directly link cheese to breast cancer risk.
Women’s lifestyle and some dietary factors should be considered. She said a well-balanced diet would allow women to avoid the negative effects of cheese by managing daily consumption and intake of saturated fat.
"There is no danger in cheese," Gans added. "We can't blame anything on one particular food, as much as we might like to. We need to look at a person's total diet. I'm not convinced and I'm not sure the consumer should be either."