Overview
About one in six American males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society, with millions more suffering from other prostate conditions. The prostate is one of the smallest organs in a man's body, but prostate disease can cause a range of sexual, urinary and other healthproblems. New research is finding that lifestyle changes such as drinking coffee can improve prostate health and may even help prevent prostate disease in some cases, although research is inconclusive.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH, is a condition that causes your prostate gland to become enlarged and potentially cause problems with urination and raise levels of compounds that can increase your risk for cancer. Researchers in Zurich, Switzerland, conducted a study of 882 men aged 65 to 80 regarding use of cigarettes and consumption of alcohol and coffee. The results, published in "BJU International" in 2002, showed that men who drank more coffee had a moderately greater risk for developing BPH.
Researchers conducted an analysis of 47,911 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who reported intake of regular and decaffeinated coffee from 1986 to 2006, with 5,035 patients developing prostate cancer, 642 patients with lethal prostate cancers. After adjusting for smoking, obesity and other variables, the study results were published in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" in May 2011. Among men drinking at least six cups of coffee per day, the risk for overall prostate cancer was 18 percent lower than in nondrinkers and 60 percent lower for lethal forms of prostate cancer.
PSA Levels
The PSA test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in your blood and is used to screen for an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. A study in Poland assessed prostate cancer risk factors in 193 men, aged 50 to 70 years, at the urology outpatient department at the Clinical Hospital in Lublin. The researchers published their results in a 2003 issue of "Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska" showing that higher PSA readings were associated with men who drank coffee versus nondrinkers.
Considerations
The early signs of prostate disease and prostate cancer can include difficulty urinating or blood in urine or semen, pelvic pain, bone pain and leg swelling. If you have these symptoms or believe you may be at risk for prostate disease, check with your doctor before determining whether coffee and caffeine consumption is beneficial or harmful for your particular situation. High levels of caffeine consumption can also increase your risk for high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as lead to irritability and insomnia.
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