Coffee Prevents Cancer?

Increased coffee intake may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, according to new research from the Harvard School of Public Health. Over the course of 20 years, researchers analyzed the coffee intake (both caffeinated and decaffeinated) of approximately 50,000 men. During this time, 4,975 men developed prostate cancer; scientists found those who drank the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the disease compared to men who drank none at all. Coffee affects certain biological mechanisms that play a role in the development of this disease, such as sex hormone levels and insulin and glucose metabolism. The study does not determine exactly which component in coffee is beneficial, only that it is not the level of caffeine.