Italian coffee found to benefit prostate
BRAVO! Men who drink Italianstyle coffee can significantly reduce their likelihood for prostate cancer, according to a new study. Government researchers in Italy found that three or more cups of coffee prepared the Italian way — that means high-pressure, very high water temperature and with no filters — lowered risk of the common cancer that affects one in seven American men by 53%.
A goal of the study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, was to “provide a clearer view” about caffeine and prostate health. A protective effect of the popular drink has already been suggested by other recent studies.
The latest study observed coffee consumption and prostate cancer rates of 7,000 male residents in Molise, a region of southern Italy, for four years. Researchers saw a 53% drop in risk for subjects who drank more than three cups a day.
Researchers sought confirmation in the lab by testing the action of coffee extracts — with caffeine and without — on prostate cancer cells.
The observations on cancer cells led to the conclusion that “the beneficial effect observed among the seven thousand participants is most likely due to caffeine, rather than to the many other substances contained in coffee,” researcher Maria Benedetta Donati said in a statement.
The study emphasizes that the specific way Italian coffee is brewed is an essential part of the benefit.
Researchers believe that the preparation in high-pressure hot water (about 190 degrees), and without the use of filters, might result in lower loss of bioactive compounds — which are being studied in the prevention of cancer and other diseases — in the final product.