For years we’ve known that calcium is necessary for bone health. But now it looks like calcium can help keep cancer at bay.

Data from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study indicate that women who consumed more calcium had a lower risk of cancer in general. Men had a reduced risk for colon cancer and other digestive-related cancers, but not prostate or other types of cancer.
 
Dairy products, such as yogurt, milk and cheese, are “relatively high in potentially anticarcinogenic nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and conjugated linoleic acid,” according to the authors. Calcium is associated with a reduction in abnormal cell growth, specifically in the digestive tract and breast tissue.

The RDA for calcium is anywhere from 800-1,500 mg depending on a person’s age and, if female, whether or not she is pregnant. According to the authors, “calcium intake consistent with current recommendations is associated with a lower risk of total cancer in women and cancers of the digestive system, especially colorectal cancer, in both men and women.” Now there’s a reason to get three servings of dairy a day.