Italian-style coffee cuts risk of common cancer by 53% - New Study

Beviamo! Men who drink Italian style 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 their 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 some recent studies.

The study observed coffee consumption and prostate cancer rates of 7,000 male residents of Molise, in south-central 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,” said researcher Maria Benedetta Donati.

The study emphasizes that the specific way Italian coffee is brewed is an essential part of the benefit.