In May 2017 researchers from China published their review of the scientific literature which assessed the association between calcium and risk of oesophageal cancer. 17 studies were identified which involved 3,396 individuals diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and 346,815 individuals with no oesophageal cancer. A comparison was made of the highest intake and the lowest intake of dietary calcium and diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. Results showed that a higher dietary calcium intake appeared to reduce the risk of oesophageal cancer. A further analysis revealed that a higher dietary calcium intake was especially associated with a lower risk of oesophageal squamous cell cancer, but not oesophageal adenocarcinoma, in Asian populations. However, this specific association relating to oesophageal squamous cell cancer was not observed in studies undertaken in the USA or Europe
Li Q et al. Protective Effect of Dietary Calcium Intake on Esophageal Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2017 May 18;9(5). [Epub ahead of print]