Cancer is a type of disease in which some abnormal or damaged cells of the human body grow uncontrollably, multiply, and spread. These cells may form lumps of tissue called tumors, and in the case of cancerous (malignant) tumors, they travel to other parts of the body to form new tumors.
Discovery of a Key Trigger of Cancer
In 2019, in an interview with the Horizon magazine, virologist and Nobel laureate Professor Harald zur Hausen, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the role of papilloma viruses, stated that humans have a good chance of drastically reducing the incidence of cancers.He further explained that according to our current understanding of different types of cancer, in about 20 percent of cancer cases, infections are involved.
According to Professor zur Hausen, there’s evidence that at least 30 percent more human cancers are also linked to infectious events. Therefore, by eliminating infections, at least half of the human cancers can be prevented.
The Cancers Related to Infections
Some types of human cancer are caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, which are causative agents in this regard. For instance, Hepatitis B and C virus infections may cause liver cancer; Helicobacter pylori infections may lead to ulcers and possibly gastric cancer; parasitic infections of the vascular system in the bladder and liver may eventually lead to bladder and liver cancers; and HPV infections may lead to cervical cancer.According to the calculations performed by de Villiers’s team, the global cancer incidence caused by infections is somewhere between 20 percent and 21 percent.
What Are Bovine Meat and Milk Factors (BMMFs)?
By analyzing epidemiological data, Professors zur Hausen and de Villiers and their team have discovered a link between the consumption of dairy cattle’s meat and milk and several types of cancer. Specifically, it was found that countries consuming red meat mostly from Eurasian dairy cattle origins have high incidences of breast and colon cancers, with the exception of Mongolia.The team’s studies in Mongolia support the suspicion that species-specific factors should be more important, possibly linked to specific breeds of cattle.
BMMFs can be found in beef, milk, and other dairy products, including butter, yogurt, yogurt drinks, and cheese.
- They share characteristics with viruses and bacterial plasmids
- They are adapted to genetic activity and replication in certain cattle and human cells
- The majority of the initial isolates originated from sera or dairy products of Eurasian dairy cattle
- Their DNA doesn’t persist in cancer cells, but it stays in lamina propria cells (including periglandular stroma cells and in some macrophages)
- They produce a protein product called Rep, which can multiply in cells
Colon, Breast, and Prostate Cancers
According to the American Cancer Society, as of 2022, colorectal cancer (colon cancer for short) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both American men and in women.According to epidemiological evidence, not every cattle species’ beef and milk can lead to colon cancer. For example, consumption of Zebu (from humped cattle) and Yak meat seems to be able to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer. This may explain the low incidence of colon cancer in Mongolia.
The BMMFs can enter and multiply in human cells.
Some cells in the colon may develop into tissue antecedents of cancer. Random mutagenesis in DNA-replicating intestinal gland (crypt) cells, which are adjacent to infected cells, and in replicating single-stranded BMMF-DNA will take place. After an incubation period typically longer than three decades, “driver” mutations in specific cellular genes are established, and the growth of these clones is enhanced. After further mutations, these clones will lead to the development of precancerous polyps. And as a result of continuing mutagenic activity, these polyps eventually transform into malignant tumors.
In this way, BMMFs contribute to the development of colorectal cancer, with the time of onset generally being 40 to 70 years after a person is first infected with BMMFs.
BMMFs May Induce Breast Cancer
In 2020, female breast cancer became the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. And in the United States, breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women, accounting for one in three new cases annually. The high risk regions for breast cancer are North America, most European countries, Australia, and Argentina. And the low risk regions include India, Mongolia, and Bolivia (which is bordering Argentina). The possible reasons might include that Mongolians primarily consume sheep and goat meat, instead of beef; that India has a relatively low beef consumption, due to religious reasons; and that the milk consumption in Bolivia is among the lowest in the world.Cow Milk Versus Other Milk
Certain oligosaccharides (sugars) exist in human milk, but not in cow milk. These sugars bind to lectin receptors, thereby blocking the binding of several infectious agents. One example of these sugars’ health benefits is that long-time breast-feeding (over 6 months) has been shown to prevent several types of infections in babies. And in early-weaned babies, if their baby formulas are supplemented with such human milk sugars, their risk of acute childhood leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, and other diseases will be reduced to the same level as that of breast-fed babies. However, more research needs to be performed on such human milk sugars’ protective effects to adults.One consequence of the above breast cancer development is that BMMF-containing dairy products will not be identified as risks by studies conducted when the subjects are much older.
Estrogens in Milk Promote Tumor Growth and Cancers
A team of researchers from National Cancer Institute, led by Timothy Veenstra, purchased milk from grocery stores and tested its estrogen contents, including estrone and estradioli. As it turned out, the team found 15 estrogens in milk.Under normal circumstances, hormones are secreted by the body to regulate various physiological functions. However, if the body contains exogenous hormones (hormones which are not produced by the body), they may interfere with the body’s functions.
Estrogens can promote tumor growth in many types of cancer. And even at a low estrogen concentration, this effect can still take place.
Implications of Current BMMF Research Findings
As aforementioned, early detection of BMMFs could identify individuals that are particularly at risk for certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, so they can seek preventive measures and minimize their risk of developing these cancers.Preventing Cancer
Present recommendations for the prevention of BMMF-related cancers include avoiding consumption of red meat (especially from Eurasian dairy cattle) and milk, avoiding obesity, and using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. aspirin). Other prevention measures include the detection and removal of precursor lesions.- Do not smoke or use any tobacco
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Be physically active and avoid sitting for too long
- Have a healthy diet by eating plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and avoid processed meat and high-calorie foods