The initial findings of the present study carried out by researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health have established a connection between coffee and prostate cancer
which mostly affects men who are 60 or older.
Study details
For the study, researchers analyzed coffee intake of 50,000 men once in every four years from 1986 to 2006.
During the course of the study, only 4,975 men out of 50,000 were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It was observed that those who drank six or more cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee per day had 60 per cent lesser chances of developing advanced prostate cancer and 19 per cent lesser chances of developing any kind of prostate cancer than those who did not drink coffee.
“Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism, as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer,” says Dr. Kathryn M. Wilson who is lead author of the present study.
A similar research by Dr. Tomas DePaulis from the Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies also suggests that coffee is healthy in preventing prostate cancer and many other ailments like Type 2 diabetes, liver disease and gallstones.
Does coffee really stop prostate cancer?
The researchers of the study feel that it is too early to recommend that coffee helps stop prostate cancer in men as the study is in its initial stages but the findings are a step in the right direction.
Dr Kathryn M. Wilson says, “Very few lifestyle factors have been consistently associated with prostate cancer risk, especially with risk of aggressive disease, so it would be very exciting if this association is confirmed in other studies.”
“Our results do suggest there is no reason to stop drinking coffee out of any concern about prostate cancer,” she continues.
Exercise also helps in preventing prostate cancer
Stacey A. Kenfield and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study on the effects of exercise in 2,686 prostate cancer patients and found that three or more hours of ‘Metabolic Equivalent Tasks’ lowered the risk of developing prostate cancer by 35 per cent.
“Our data indicate that for prostate cancer survivors, a moderate amount of regular exercise may improve overall survival, while five or more hours per week of vigorous exercise may decrease the death rate due to prostate cancer specifically,” says Stacey.
The present study and its findings were presented at a conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Houston that was held from Dec. 6-9 this year.
Post new comment