Italian Coffee And Prostate Cancer
Men who enjoy drinking strong coffee made the Italian way might be reducing their risk of prostate cancer by more than half. Researchers observed the habits of 6,989 men in the Molise region of south central Italy for an average of four years. The study team looked at both coffee consumption and the number of prostate cancer cases that occurred in the group. They found that the risk of the disease was 53 percent lower among men who drank more than three cups of coffee daily compared to men who drank between zero and two cups per day. When the researchers tested extracts of the coffee on prostate cancer cells in the lab, they found that only caffeinated extracts reduced the proliferation and growth of the cancer cells. Decaf extracts had no such effects. The researchers suggested that the Italian method of brewing coffee may be key to the concentration of bio-active substances believed responsible for the anti-cancer activity seen – it requires high pressure, very high water temperature and no filters. If more than three cups of really strong coffee sounds like too much, bear in mind that Italian cups are quite small.
Source:
George Pounis et al, “Reduction by coffee consumption of prostate cancer risk: Evidence from the Moli-sani cohort and cellular models.” International Journal of Cancer, April 24, 2017, DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30720
Also in this week’s bulletin:
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