Coffee May Reduce Risk Of Lethal Prostate Cancer In Men
For immediate release: Monday, May 17, 2011
Boston, MA Men who regularly drink coffee appear to have a lower risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer, according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health researchers. Whats more, the lower risk was evident among men who drank either regular or decaffeinated coffee.
The study was published May 17, 2011, in an online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Read the abstract.
Few studies have specifically studied the association of coffee intake and the risk of lethal prostate cancer, the form of the disease that is the most critical to prevent. Our study is the largest to date to examine whether coffee could lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer, said senior author ], associate professor of epidemiology at HSPH. Lethal prostate cancer is cancer that causes death or spreads to the bones.
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among U.S. men, affecting one in six men during their lifetime. More than 2 million men in the U.S. and 16 million men worldwide are prostate cancer survivors.
Among the findings:
· Men who consumed the most coffee had nearly a 20% 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 had a 60% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.
For more information:
What Should I Avoid Before A Psa Test
Can I work out before I take a PSA test?
While physical activity in general might help maintain a normal prostate, avoid heavy exercise directly before your PSA. Avoid exercise for a few days before your PSA test. Even bicycling, riding motorcycles or ATVs, or riding horses have been shown to elevate PSA slightly for a short period of time..
Can I have sex before I take a PSA test?
No. You should abstain from sexual activity – anything that includes ejaculation – for at least 48 hours before the test. A recent ejaculation might cause a slight rise in PSA levels.
What about supplements and medications?
The following supplements or medications may have an affect on your PSA levels and should be discussed with your doctor. They may raise or lower your PSA and might not create a reliable test result:
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Carninte, fenugreek, pomegranate, saw palmetto, the herb PC-SPES, lycopene, and phytoestrogens.
Can alcohol or coffee consumption skew results?
Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are not established risk factors for prostate cancer and will not affect PSA levels. However, it is understood that heavy alcohol drinking could cause a small risk of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. The bottom line here is that alcohol, caffeine and smoking do not cause false-positive elevations of PSA levels.
I have a urinary infection, is that a problem?
Why Is This Happening
Male anatomy includes a gland located between the bladder and penis that secretes prostatic fluid, meant to nourish sperm and provide protection for its journey out of the body. Running through the centre of this gland is the urethra, the tube whereby urine exits the body.
When prostate tissue starts to enlarge, it can put pressure on the urethra causing you to experience symptoms associated with a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia . The benign part is important to stress here as it indicates that BPH is a non-cancerous growth of tissue.
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Connection Between Ejaculation And Prostate Cancer
The amount of ejaculations included those from sexual intercourse, masturbation and nocturnal emissions . The one study found that men who ejaculated 21 or more time a month had a 33% decreased chance of developing prostate cancer compared to those who ejaculated 4-7 times a month. The second study showed that men who averaged 4-7 ejaculations a week showed a 36% decreased chance of developing prostate cancer, before the age of 70, as compared to men who ejaculated less than 2-3 times a week.
It’s not known how this increased rate of ejaculation leads to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The theory behind it is that ejaculation expels potentially harmful or irritating substances from the prostate, thereby decreasing the chances of the occurrence of a malignancy.
Over 1 Million Participants
Two researchers independently reviewed the relevant literature that is available. After discussing their reviews, they decided to include 16 studies in their meta-analysis. The studies collectively involved 1,081,586 men. Of them, 57,732 developed prostate cancer.
In the studies, the participants self-reported their coffee consumption. As many as 15 of the studies compared the highest level of coffee consumption with the lowest level.
However, the amount of coffee consumption these categories represented varied from two to nine cups for the highest category, to none to one for the lowest.
After analyzing the data across the studies, the researchers found that the highest category of coffee consumption was associated with a 9% decrease in the risk of prostate cancer when compared with the lowest category.
Each single cup of coffee was associated with a 1% decrease in prostate cancer risk.
More specifically, the researchers found that localized prostate cancer cancer that has not spread to another part of a persons body was 7% less likely to develop in the highest category of coffee consumption compared with the lowest.
For advanced prostate cancer, the highest category of coffee consumption was associated with a 12% reduction in risk compared with the lowest. For fatal prostate cancer, the highest category was associated with a 16% reduction in risk compared with the lowest.
Dr. Kefeng Wang, of China Medical University in Shenyang, and his co-authors explain:
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The Effects Of Salt Coffee And Sugar On The Prostate
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland positioned in the middle of the bladder and the penis. With age, men are likely to face prostate gland issues. The prostate secretes a fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate pushes this fluid into the urethra and it is ejected with sperm as semen. As men age, problems can arise in the prostate gland, including cancer. Most prostate problems are benign, however. Benign prostate enlargement , also known as , benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a condition that affects older men. Its mainly common among men over 60 years of age and isnt usually a serious threat to health. The most common symptoms include urinary complications or discomfort when urinating. It can be treated well if detected in the early stages, otherwise it is more like a slow-emerging cancer. There are certain foods that aggrevate or alleviate prostate problems. It is important to discuss with your healthcare professional for proper advice.
How Can Caffeine Affect An Enlarged Prostate
Most urologists believe that caffeine can irritate an enlarged prostate, so it is best to limit consumption of coffee, tea, and soft drinks with caffeine. Caffeine tends to cause the muscles in the neck of the bladder to tighten up, making the ability to urinate more difficult. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, increasing the amount of urine that enters the bladder. These two factors can increase the urgency and frequency of urination, making urinary symptoms worse. If you must have caffeine, tea — especially green tea — is the best choice because it contains antioxidants and is lower in caffeine than coffee and many sodas.
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So What Are The Key Points You Should Take Away From This
- Alcohol plays a contributing role in worsening the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate
- Follow Canadian Guidelines for alcohol consumption no more than 15 drinks a week. This includes defining what a ‘drink’ actually is:
- 5oz of wine
- 1.5oz of liquor
- 12oz or beer, ciders, or coolers
Each Additional Daily Cup Associated With Reduction In Risk Of Nearly 1%
- Date:
- BMJ
- Summary:
- Drinking several cups of coffee every day may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available evidence.
Drinking several cups of coffee every day may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Each additional daily cup of the brew was associated with a reduction in relative risk of nearly 1%, the findings indicate.
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 bid to advance understanding of the issue, the researchers trawled research databases for relevant cohort studies published up to September 2020.
They pooled the data from 16: 15 reported on the risk of prostate cancer associated with the highest, compared with the lowest, coffee consumption 13 reported on the risk associated with an additional daily cup. 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.
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Is Wine Good For Prostate
A new study shows men who drink four or more glasses of red wine per week have a nearly 50% lower risk of prostate cancer than non-drinkers. In addition, researchers found that red wines protective effects appear to be even stronger against the most dangerous and aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Drinking Alcohol Reduces Risk Of Enlarged Prostate
Alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing an enlarged prostate and the many problems it can can create.
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The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The gland is made of two lobes, or regions, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue. It is located just below the bladder, where urine is stored. The prostate also surrounds the urethra, the canal through which urine passes out of the body.
As a man matures, the prostate goes through two main periods of growth. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. At around age 25, the gland begins to grow again. This second growth phase often results, years later, in enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia .
Though the prostate continues to grow during most of a man’s life, the enlargement doesn’t usually cause problems until late in life. BPH rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but more than half of men in their sixties and as many as 90 percent in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of BPH.
Many symptoms of BPH stem from obstruction of the urethra and gradual loss of bladder function, which results in incomplete emptying of the bladder. The symptoms of BPH vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as
- a hesitant, interrupted, weak stream
- urgency and leaking or dribbling
- more frequent urination, especially at night
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Foods To Avoid: Caffeine
Avoiding or limiting your caffeine intake, including coffee, tea, energy drinks and fizzy drinks, is another thing that can make a big difference to your urinary health.
Caffeine has a diuretic effect which means it can increase the urge to go to the toilet. On top of this, drinking these beverages, especially late at night, can irritate the bladder and so will make it more likely that you’ll need to use the loo. As it is difficult for men with an enlarged prostate to empty their bladder completely anyway, consuming caffeinated drinks will only add to the problem.
There are now so many caffeine-free drinks available that it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge to swap your usual brew for something a little kinder to your bladder.
Chamomile tea is particularly beneficial as it has anti-inflammatory properties. If you favour coffee, though, then Bambu, our caffeine-free coffee, is a great alternative.
On top of this, another important drink for your prostate is water. It’s vital you stay well hydrated if you suffer from the condition but remember not to drink anything at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Green Tea Vs Black Tea
After tea leaves have been picked they can be treated in two ways. The first is a process called oxidation where the leaves are left out in the fresh air. As the leaves react to the fresh air around them they turn brown and develop a slightly bitter flavour. These brown leaves are used to make your everyday black tea, otherwise known as English Breakfast Tea.
In the second process the leaves are heated gently to prevent oxidation and to ensure the leaves do not turn brown. These leaves are used to make green tea which has a milder flavour and aroma.
So, is green tea better for the prostate gland than black tea?
As the leaves are heated to produce green tea they release catechins and antioxidants which have a range of particularly formidable sounding titles such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate . These titles can be a little hard to get your head around so we dont need to understand them in any great detail however, what is worth knowing is that these substances can bring relief from prostate symptoms.
These substances are not released when the leaves are left to oxidise, as in the production of black tea, and without these chemical structures, the drink has significantly less impact on the prostate gland, making green tea the better choice of drink.
Doesn’t green tea contain caffeine?
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How Can I Reduce My Enlarged Prostate Without Surgery
To help control the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, try to:Limit beverages in the evening. Limit caffeine and alcohol. Limit decongestants or antihistamines. Go when you first feel the urge. Schedule bathroom visits. Follow a healthy diet. Stay active. Urinate and then urinate again a few moments later.More items
Coffee May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
Study Shows Regular Drinking of Decaf or Caffeinated Coffee May Protect Against Prostate Cancer
May 17, 2011 — Men who drink coffee regularly appear to lower their risk of prostate cancer, especially the lethal form, new research suggests.
When the researchers looked at all forms of prostate cancer, ”the highest coffee drinkers had about a 20% lower risk of developing prostate cancer during the follow-up,” says researcher Lorelei Mucci, ScD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The 20% lower risk was found in those drinking six or more cups daily compared to none, she tells WebMD.
Coffee protected even more against the most lethal form of prostate cancer. Among those drinking one to three cups a day, the risk of lethal prostate cancer declined 29%, compared to that of nondrinkers. Among those drinking six or more cups daily, the risk for deadly prostate cancer was reduced 60% compared to that of nondrinkers.
The surprise: the risk reduction held for both regular coffee and decaf, leading the researchers to speculate it’s not the caffeine providing the protection.
The study is published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Other research has found coffee can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, and liver cancer.
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Eat Tomatoes And Other Red Foods
Tomatoes, watermelon, and other red foods owe their bright color to a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Some recent studies show that men who consume this fruit and tomato-based products have a lower risk of prostate cancer than those who dont. However, the American Institute for Cancer Research cautions that studies linking tomatoes to prostate cancer prevention are limited and ongoing.
A 2018 study from Spain suggest that cooking tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb lycopene. The redder the tomato, the better because lycopene accumulates during ripening. That means that pale, store-bought tomatoes that are picked too early have less lycopene than vine-ripened tomatoes.
- Drinking four to five cups of coffee every day can lower your chances of fatal and high-grade prostate cancer, according to a 2014 review of clinical studies.
- Regardless of how many cups you drink overall, every three cups of coffee you drink can reduce your risk of fatal prostate cancer about 11 percent.
This describes a dose-response relationship between prostate cancer and coffee. That means the effect on prostate cancer goes up or down with the amount of coffee you drink. These effects may not extend to someone who only grabs an occasional cup.
However, high doses of caffeine can cause major health issues, such as irregular heartbeat and seizures. The Mayo Clinic cautions against ingesting more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, the equivalent of four cups of brewed coffee.
Is Coffee Bad For Your Prostate
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