Milk's health benefits outweigh its prostate risks

Should my husband cut back on milk to prevent prostate cancer?

The answer is no. Although a recent study seemed to link high calcium intake with prostate cancer, even the study's authors say it's too soon to stop aiming for the Daily Value of 1,000 mg (1,200 if you're over 50).

"More studies showing a prostate cancer link need to turn up before you should even consider changing calcium intake," says June Chan, ScD, of the University of California, San Francisco (Amer. Jour. of Clinical Nutrition, Oct 2001). Besides guarding bones (men get osteoporosis too), calcium appears to prevent high blood pressure and colon cancer.