A recent study conducted by Seoul National University has found that drinking more than a glass of milk a day considerably reduces breast cancer risk by up to 42 percent.

The research of SNU's Department of Preventive Medicine, led by Professor Kang Dae-hee, conducted a cohort study on 93,306 women aged between 40 and 69 who received health examinations at 38 general hospitals from 2004 to 2013, the hospital said in a press release.

The result showed that women under 50 who drank more than a glass of milk a day had a 42 percent lower risk than those who drank less than a glass a week.

The researchers found that drinking more milk reduced the risk of developing breast cancer, particularly in the 40s. However, those over 50 years showed 10 percent less in cancer prevention effect than the 40s.

Other substitutes to milk, including yogurt and cheese, did not show a meaningful relationship to preventing breast cancer.

"Calcium in milk has antiproliferative properties over breast cancer cells to protect women from its occurrence," Professor Kang said. "Vitamin D increases cell differentiation and apoptosis, which lower the risk of developing breast cancer."

In terms of prevention, drinking more than a glass of milk every day from a young age can be helpful, Kang added.

The research was published in the latest issue of Nutrients, an international academic journal.