(HealthDay):
"HealthDay - TUESDAY, May 17, 2011 (HealthDay News) --
Men who drink at least six or more cups of coffee a day may be cutting their risk for advanced prostate cancer by 60 percent, new research suggests."
A definite cause-and-effect link is still far from proven, experts say, and just how coffee might help thwart prostate malignancy isn't clear.
The Harvard team found that drinking six or more cups of coffee each day was associated with an almost 20 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer, compared to those who did not drink coffee.
Even men who drank less coffee -- one to three cups a day -- had a 30 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer, and reductions in risk were observed whether the men drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, Wilson's group added.
Commenting on the Harvard team's findings, Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, called it a large, well-designed study. But he stressed that, so far, it remains the only study to show such a link.
"It is premature to conclude that drinking coffee might help prevent fatal prostate cancer," he said. "We do, however, know that both smoking and obesity are associated with higher risk of fatal prostate cancer, as well as death from many other diseases. So it is fine to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, but avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy weight are among the surest ways to stay healthy."
