With that in mind, a case-control study was released 2 weeks ago comparing 2,818 Swedish women with breast cancer to 3,111 without. The authors concluded that drinking >5 cups of coffee daily was associated with 20% reduction in overall breast cancer risk and with 57% reduction in estrogen receptor negative breast cancer as compared to those who drank <1 cup/day.
And in the spring of 2009 , authors completed a meta-analysis of 9 cohort & 9 case-control studies that met strict inclusion criteria and concluded that drinking at least 2 cups of coffee daily might decrease breast cancer risk.
So what's the take home point, especially given the tendency of our daily newscasts to vacillate with the study du jour? There appears to be a trend towards benefit from coffee consumption, especially more of the really strong stuff. But remember that all these studies only demonstrate an association and therefore are good for developing hypotheses. Given our limited knowledge, I'd recommend drinking coffee because you like it, not because you want to prevent breast cancer. And don't forget Goldilock's approach. Avoid drinking so much as to give yourself palpitations & tremors! |
Write a comment:
|