Women benefited from drinking about four cups daily
FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — High versus low intake of coffee is associated with a reduced risk for endometrial cancer, according to a new study published in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Using data on 456,513 women from two large ongoing studies, researchers evaluated the dietary habits of 2,834 women diagnosed with cancer of the endometrium. Study leader Melissa Merritt, Ph.D., a research fellow in cancer epidemiology at Imperial College London, and colleagues evaluated 84 foods and nutrients.
One trial concluded that 37 ounces of coffee daily reduced endometrial cancer risk by 18 percent. The other found a similar reduction associated with 26 ounces a day. “For most other dietary factors, there was no consistent association with endometrial cancer risk,” Merritt told HealthDay.
The researchers found a link, but not a cause-and-effect relationship, between coffee drinking and lower risk of endometrial cancer. And the study did not differentiate between decaf and regular, so Merritt said she can’t comment on whether one is better than the other. The researchers also can’t say for sure why coffee may lower the cancer risk. However, one possibility is that coffee reduces estrogen levels in the body, changing the balance of hormones, Merritt said.
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