More on Coffee, the Wonder Drink

Drinking large amounts of coffee may ward off prostate cancer.

Via NPR:  Coffee May Lower Risk Of Deadliest Prostate Cancer

“For the men who drank the most coffee, their risk of getting this bad form of prostate cancer was about 60 percent lower compared to the men who drank almost no coffee at all,” says Lorelei Mucci, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health and an author of the study.

When they saw the results, Mucci says, she and her colleagues said, “Wow, that’s a lot!”

“Among risk factors that people have studied for lethal prostate cancer, this is one of the strongest,” she told Shots.

Even better:

The new study shows that getting a 60 percent reduction in risk of aggressive prostate cancer requires a lot of coffee — at least six cups a day. However, men who drank three cups a day had a 30 percent lower chance of getting a lethal prostate cancer, and that’s not bad.

To which I can only say:  cool.

FILED UNDER: Health, , , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Patrick T. McGuire says:

    The new study shows that getting a 60 percent reduction in risk of aggressive prostate cancer requires a lot of coffee — at least six cups a day. However, men who drank three cups a day had a 30 percent lower chance of getting a lethal prostate cancer, and that’s not bad.

    I began drinking copious amounts of coffee back when I was in college. In addition to a full pot of coffee in the morning, I had around six cups of turkish coffee each day. Over the years, my consumption hasn’t decreased. I drink half a pot before I get to work and another pot during the day. Oh, and by the way, a pot is 12 cups so I guess my risk of getting this cancer is almost nil.

  2. john personna says:

    You know, I’m in the midst of down-sizing my coffee consumption. It wasn’t totally for health, more because managing my massive coffee consumption (3 of my cups might equal 6 of theirs) on backpacking trips would be tricky.

    Now I reconsider …

  3. mantis says:

    Nice. I drink a ton of coffee, and I don’t eat meat. When I’m 70, my prostate will probably be the most healthy part of my body.

  4. John Burgess says:

    @mantis: It may be the healthiest, but it’s still untrustworthy. Those two other prostate cancers, the non-aggressive ones, will still get you if nothing else does first.

    I’m certainly exceeding the 6-cups/day intake, but simple age is showing itself in the nether regions. It comes with being male…

  5. Have a nice G.A. says:

    I drink a crap load of coffee, but ain’t Harvard the same place Obama learned about the Constitution?