More coffee drinking is linked to lower prostate cancer risk

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Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death in men.

Nearly three out of four cases occur in the developed world, and since the 1970s, new cases of the disease have risen sharply in Asian countries, including Japan, Singapore, and China.

Coffee consumption has been linked to a lower relative risk of liver, bowel, and breast cancers, but as yet, there is no conclusive evidence for its potential role in prostate cancer risk reduction.

In a study from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, scientists found drinking several cups of coffee every day may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

Each additional daily cup of the brew was associated with a reduction in relative risk of nearly 1%.

In the study, the team used data from research databases for studies published up to September 2020.

The highest level of consumption ranged from 2 to 9 or more cups a day; the lowest level ranged from none to fewer than 2 cups a day.

The included studies included more than 1 million men (1,081, 586) of whom 57,732 developed prostate cancer.

The team found that compared with the lowest category of coffee consumption, the highest category was linked to a reduction in prostate cancer risk of 9%.

And each additional daily cup was associated with a reduction in risk of 1%.

Further analysis of localized and advanced prostate cancer showed that compared with the lowest intake, the highest intake was associated with a 7% lower risk of localized prostate cancer, and a 12%-16% lower risk for advanced and fatal prostate cancer, respectively.

The team says there are plausible biological explanations for their findings.

Coffee improves glucose metabolism, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and affects sex hormone levels, all of which may influence the initiation, development, and progression of prostate cancer.

If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies that dairy foods may increase the risk of prostate cancer and a new strategy to treat advanced prostate cancer.

For more information about prostate cancer, please see recent studies about a new way to lower the risk of prostate cancer spread, and results showing three-drug combo boosts survival in metastatic prostate cancer.

The study was conducted by Xiaonan Chen et al and published in BMJ Open.

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