By Paul Briand
That morning cup of coffee is doing more than just getting your day going.
It’s also helping Baby Boomer aged men ward off a lethal form of prostate cancer, especially if that first cup is followed by another … and another.
The new research about the relationship between coffee and the prostate is contained in a new Harvard School of Public Health study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The study of 48,000 men found that those who drank more than six cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of developing lethal prostate cancer by 60 percent when compared with nondrinkers.
And here’s the kicker: Caffeine wasn’t the deciding factor.
The reduction in the risk was similar between decaf and regular coffee drinkers, said researchers.
Cancer of the prostate is the most common cancer among American men, particularly men of Baby Boomer age.
The rate of diagnosis increases with age: From 1 in 38 for men ages 40 to 59 to 1 in 15 for 
ages 60 to 69.
Dennis Hopper, actor in the iconic Baby Boomer movie “Easy Rider”, died of prostate cancer at the age of 74.
What is the prostate?
It’s the small gland that’s part of the male reproductive system. In particular for men over the age of 50, a yearly exam of the prostate is recommended.
Most often, the doctor will do an exam with his finger by way of the rectum.
In other cases, a doctor might recommend a blood test to measure the PSA — the Prostate Specific Antigen. There is ongoing debate, however, about the overall effectiveness of the PSA test and whether false-positives might force a man into treatment that he might not otherwise need.
For more information about the prostate and prostate cancer, see the government’s National Institute of Health site here.
As for the coffee study, researchers said:
“An association between coffee and lower risk of advanced prostate cancer is biologically plausible. Coffee improves glucose metabolism, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and affects sex hormone levels, all of which play roles in prostate cancer progression.”
And the greater the consumption, the lower the risk.
The study said three cups of coffee per day reduces the risk by 30 percent; that doubles to 60 percent with six cups of coffee per day.
Said the study abstract: “Coffee contains many biologically active compounds, including caffeine and phenolic acids, that have potent antioxidant activity and can affect glucose metabolism and sex hormone levels. Because of these biological activities, coffee may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.”
The precise causes of prostate cancer are being studied.
In addition to age, other risk factors are considered such as weight, amount of exercise and other lifestyle factors such as smoking. African-American men also seem to be more at risk for prostate cancer.
As the study’s lead author Kathryn Wilson said in a Medical News Today article:
“At present we lack an understanding of risk factors that can be changed or controlled to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer. If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer.”
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