Coffee May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

ThirdAge

October 12, 2011

Coffee may reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to new findings published in Breast Cancer research.

A new study carried out by Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute revealed there is a direct correlation between high daily intakes of coffee and developing a sub-type of breast tumor called estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer.

Participants included 6,000 Swedish women. Findings indicated women who drank five or more cups of coffee daily lowered their risk of estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer by 57%.

However, this study does not prove cause and effect, only that there's a link between drinking coffee and ER-negative breast cancer, researchers noted.

Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania tested antioxidant levels of a variety of foods and found coffee to be the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet, MSNBC reports.  Results suggest antioxidants may play a role in reducing the risk of some types of cancer.

Coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants, protecting cells against damage, which helps explain how coffee may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Despite these findings, more research is needed to confirm the effects of coffee consumption in regards to breast cancer subtypes, researchers noted.