Coffee May Protect Aainst Cancer of the Uterus

Wednesday, 23 November 2011, 20:24 IST
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Washington:  Long-term consumption of coffee may be associated with a reduced risk of cancer of the endometrium -- or the lining of the uterus or womb, says a 26-year study.

The study published online Tuesday in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, said coffee is fast emerging as a protective agent in cancers linked to obesity, estrogen and insulin.

"Coffee has already been shown to be protective against diabetes due to its effect on insulin. So we hypothesized that we'd see a reduction in some cancers as well," Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The researchers observed cumulative coffee intake in relation to endometrial cancer in 67,470 women who enrolled for the study.

During the course of 26 years, researchers documented 672 cases of endometrial cancer.

Drinking more than four cups of coffee per day was linked with a 25 percent reduced risk for endometrial cancer. Drinking between two and three cups per day was linked with a seven percent reduced risk.

A similar link was seen in decaffeinated coffee, where drinking more than two cups per day was linked with a 22 percent reduced risk for endometrial cancer.


Source: IANS