03.01.10
Nutraceutical: Coffee
Indication: Prostate cancer
Source: American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, December 2009.
Research: Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer. Using the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study, researchers from the Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health documented the regular and decaffeinated coffee intake of nearly 50,000 men every four years from 1986 to 2006; 4975 of these men developed prostate cancer during that time. They also examined the cross-sectional association between coffee consumption and levels of circulating hormones in blood samples collected from a subset of men in the cohort. Researchers looked at different types of prostate cancer, such as advanced vs. localized cancers or high-grade vs. low-grade cancers.
Results: Research revealed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancers. Men who drank the most coffee had a 60% lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who did not drink any coffee. Caffeine was not the key factor in this association, according to researchers, who are unsure which components of the beverage are most important, as coffee contains many biologically active compounds like antioxidants and minerals. This association might also help understand the biology of prostate cancer and possible chemoprevention measures.
Indication: Prostate cancer
Source: American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, December 2009.
Research: Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer. Using the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study, researchers from the Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health documented the regular and decaffeinated coffee intake of nearly 50,000 men every four years from 1986 to 2006; 4975 of these men developed prostate cancer during that time. They also examined the cross-sectional association between coffee consumption and levels of circulating hormones in blood samples collected from a subset of men in the cohort. Researchers looked at different types of prostate cancer, such as advanced vs. localized cancers or high-grade vs. low-grade cancers.
Results: Research revealed a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancers. Men who drank the most coffee had a 60% lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who did not drink any coffee. Caffeine was not the key factor in this association, according to researchers, who are unsure which components of the beverage are most important, as coffee contains many biologically active compounds like antioxidants and minerals. This association might also help understand the biology of prostate cancer and possible chemoprevention measures.