Cancer and Healthy

Green tea is noted and known for helping prevent breast cancer. This is due to the fact that it has antioxidants which help detoxify the blood. But what of that staple of Western life, the humble coffee?

Coffee is the most widely consumed beverage in North America and studies have shown that it can be beneficial to your health in moderation. Indeed, many of us (author included) drink a cup or two in the morning to help us wake up and function.

However, studies have also indicated that coffee can be used to fight breast cancer as well. Woman who drink six or more cups a day were shown to have a reduction of seventy-five percent in overall risk of breast cancer development. Similarly, those that drink coffee and have BRCA1 gene mutations were found to have a lower risk of breast cancer then those that didn't.

Studies have also shown that women who drink one to three cups a day have a ten percent reduction in risk over those that only drink coffee occasionally (not everyday) or not at all. It was also found in women who had BRCA2 gene mutation that coffee had a negligible effect on their risk for developing breast cancer. BRCA1 and 2 are simply breast cancer susceptibility genes.

Researchers believe the lower cancer risk may be the result of phytoestrogens found in the coffee. Decaffeinated coffee consumption had no effect on breast cancer rates. This has to be confirmed, but this goes a long way in fighting breast cancer. Now if they could only figure out a way to have the good effects without the side effects of drinking that much coffee....