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May 28, 2011

USA: Coffee Addiction Cuts Cancer Risk

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NEW YORK / FORBES / Blogs / May 28, 2011

By William Pentland

Men who drink abnormally large amounts of coffee everday are at lower risk of prostate cancer and much lower risk of lethal prostate cancer, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University.

Men who consumed six or more cups per day had a lower adjusted relative risk for overall prostate cancer compared with nondrinkers. The association was stronger for lethal prostate cancer. The average level of daily coffee consumption is slightly less than two cups, according to the study.

Kathryn Wilson, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s School of Public Health, was the lead author of the study, “Coffee Consumption and Prostate Cancer Risk,” which appears in the most recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published by Oxford University Press.

Ironically, the potential health benefits associated with heavey coffee consumption appear to be related to non-caffeine components of coffee.

From the study:

"Coffee contains many biologically active compounds, including caffeine and phenolic acids, that have potent antioxidant activity and can affect glucose metabolism and sex hormone levels. Because of these biological activities, coffee may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. We conducted a prospective analysis of 47 911 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who reported intake of regular and decaffeinated coffee in 1986 and every 4 years thereafter.

From 1986 to 2006, 5035 patients with prostate cancer were identified, including 642 patients with lethal prostate cancers, defined as fatal or metastatic . . . We observed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of lethal prostate cancer. The association appears to be related to non-caffeine components of coffee.
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