Drink More Coffee, Have Less Prostate Cancer Risk?
Researchers analyzed 16 studies including more than one million people and found that drinking more coffee was correlated with lower risks of developing prostate cancer. For each additional cup of coffee, there was a nearly 1% decrease in the risk of developing the disease.
When compared to men who drank the least coffee, men who drank the most coffee in the studies had a 9% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. For advanced prostate cancer, the risk was 12% lower. For fatal prostate cancer, the risk was 16% lower.
Should men start drinking more coffee?
All the studies reviewed were observational, which only show an association between drinking coffee and prostate cancer risk, not cause and effect.
The authors wrote that there are some biological effects of coffee that may reduce cancer risk, and these warrant further study to determine the plausibility of this link. For example, coffee has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and affects sex hormone levels, which all potentially play roles in prostate cancer.
