Drinking Coffee Reduces Risk of Endometrial Cancer

Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day has been shown to reduce a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer by 25%, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The findings suggest coffee is emerging as a protective agent in cancers that are linked to obesity, estrogen and insulin.

Harvard researchers observed cumulative coffee intake in relation to endometrial cancer in 67,470 women who enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. During the course of 26 years of follow-up, researchers documented 672 cases of endometrial cancer. Drinking more than four cups of coffee per day was linked with a 25% reduced risk for endometrial cancer. Drinking between two and three cups per day was linked with a 7% reduced risk. A similar link was seen in decaffeinated coffee, where drinking more than two cups per day was linked with a 22% reduced risk for endometrial cancer.

“Coffee has long been linked with smoking, and if you drink coffee and smoke, the positive effects of coffee are going to be more than outweighed by the negative effects of smoking," the researchers said. “However, laboratory testing has found that coffee has much more antioxidants than most vegetables and fruits."

Sources:

·                                 American Association for Cancer Research: Coffee May Protect Against Endometrial Cancer