Around 7,000 men from Italy's Molise region participated in the study, which was published in the International Journal of Cancer. The participants were observed for an average of four years. The researchers point to caffeine as the main component that helped prevent prostate cancer. Apart from observing participants, the researchers also lab-tested coffee extracts -- both caffeinated and decaffeinated -- on prostate cancer cells. The tests revealed that only the caffeinated extract slowed the growth and metastasis of cancer cells, allowing the researchers to conclude that the cancer-fighting properties of coffee is due to the caffeine, and not the drink's other components.
The study noted that the Italian method of preparing coffee may result in a cup that contains a higher amount of bioactive substances, which may be the reason why Italian coffee is more potent against prostate cancer than coffee prepared via other methods.
Prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, is the most common cancer among American men. On average, one man in seven will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. It is also among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in American men, just behind lung and colorectal cancer.
Majority of those who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are men aged 65 or older. Age greatly increases the risk for the dreaded disease: while a rarity among men below 40 years old, the risk rapidly rises after age 50.
When diagnosed, traditional courses of treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, cryosurgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy.
The old adage holds that prevention is better than cure, and this proves especially true for prostate cancer. Studies have shown that prostate cancer treatments have resulted in a lower quality of life in patients. A story published on UPI.com shared data from the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite, which examined around 5,700 prostate cancer patients. The study found a number of negative outcomes post-treatment, including the decline of sexual function, urinary incontinence, and lower bowel scores.
The American Cancer Society says that while many of the risk factors for prostate cancer are beyond one's control, a few measures can be done to lower overall risk. Being physically active, getting at least two and a half cups of fruits and vegetables daily, and maintaining a healthy weight may all help in reducing one's prostate cancer risk, they say.
Meanwhile, the Prostate Cancer Foundation recommends several lifestyle interventions that boost prostate cancer prevention. Like the American Cancer Society, they tout the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise. They caution against taking too many supplements, recommending instead to get your vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet of natural whole foods. In particular, they stress the importance of keeping calcium intake well within the recommended daily allowance, and not going over it. They also say that having a diet that include a good amount of cooked tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower can help. Quitting unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, can also lower one's risk for prostate cancer, they say.
Managing stress, maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, avoiding diabetes, and seeking treatment for depression could also help improve one's chances against the disease. And then of course there's Italian-style coffee -- which may be the most delicious prostate cancer prevention method yet.
See PreventCancer.news for more research focused specifically on preventing cancer.
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