Drinking Coffee Is Now Good For You

Image via WikipediaGood news today on the health front. Coffee drinking is now a healthy thing to do. A leading study out of the Harvard School of Public Health claims drinking one to 3 cups of coffee per day lowers your risk of prostate cancer by 30%.

Also other findings state.

• Men who consumed the most coffee (six or more cups daily) had nearly a 20 percent lower risk of developing any form of prostate cancer.
• The inverse association with coffee was even stronger for aggressive prostate cancer. Men who drank the most coffee [six or more cups!] had a 60 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.

This study followed 48,000 Boston men for 12 years and found that those who drank six or more cups a day reduced their risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by 60 percent and of developing any form of the cancer by 20 percent. The study even found a risk reduction in men who drank about three cups a day.

More Studies.

Another study followed 5,929 Swedish women, half of whom had breast cancer, and found that those who drank more than five cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of developing estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer (a particularly aggressive type of the disease) by 33 to 57 percent compared to those who drank less than a cup.

Caffeine is credited with a host of health benefits, including cutting the odds of asthma, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. But in this case, the researchers believe that other plant chemicals in coffee are behind the benefits. They think compounds such as anti-oxidants may cut the odds of prostate cancer and reduce the likelihood of deadly tumors by altering levels of sex hormones, regulating blood sugar levels and cutting inflammation.

Be Skeptical

I am always skeptical of such conclusions from these studies. Remember, 30 years ago Harvard had another study that claimed too much coffee increases the risk of pancreatic cancer among men and woman. Ooops!

All this medical information neither sways or encourages coffee drinking. People who do or don't will continue with their opinions.

Coffee drinking is a part of our culture. Coffee is the way we start our day. It's the same with everything in life, if done in moderation you will be fine.