Eating certain cheeses may slightly increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, according to researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
A new study, published in Current Developments in Nutrition, found consuming higher amounts of American, cheddar and cream cheeses was linked to a slightly increased risk for breast cancer.
The same study found yogurt appears to reduce a woman's risk of developing the same disease.
Researchers studied nearly 2,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2003 and 2014 and about 1,200 other participants.
“Dairy foods are complex mixtures of nutrients and non-nutrient substances that could be negatively as well as positively associated with breast cancer risk," said Dr. Susan McCann, the lead author of the study. "Future studies are needed to confirm the protective potential of yogurt in this type of cancer."
Diet is believed to be responsible for about 30 percent of all cancers, according to researchers.
