Health issues

Italian daily habit reducing risk of this cancer

Apr 28, 2017

Looks like the Italians were right all along.

A new study has found a daily habit enjoyed by most Italians is linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer: drinking coffee and lots of it.

The study, conducted by the Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Laboratory at I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Italy, has found that drinking more than three cups of Italian-style coffee daily could more than halve the risk of prostate cancer.

It’s common for Italians to drink coffee with every meal, with many enjoying a cappuccino with breakfast, followed by a caffè macchiato or two at lunch, and an espresso in the evening. In fact, the average Italian consumes around 600 cups of coffee every year, and this number is on the rise.

Previous studies have linked drinking coffee to a reduced risk of bowel cancer and heart disease, but the most recent research suggest it’s the way the coffee is made that makes the difference.

Italian-style coffee is made by using high pressure, a very high water temperature and no filters. This method is thought to lead to a higher concentration of bioactive substances, which helps prevent prostate cancer from developing.

For the study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, researchers monitored 6,989 men from Italy, aged 50 years or older and analysed how their coffee intake affected their risk of prostate cancer.

After four years, they determined men who drink more than three cups of Italian-style coffee every day were 53 per cent less like to develop the cancer.

“The observations on cancer cells allow us to say that the beneficial effect observed among the 7,000 participants is most likely due to caffeine, rather than to the many other substances contained in coffee,” notes study co-author Maria Benedetta Donati, also of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention.

She said Italy’s strong coffee culture and particular way of preparing the stimulating drink was directly linked with the reduced risk of cancer.

“They prepare coffee [the] rigorously Italian way: high pressure, very high water temperature, and with no filters,” says Iacoviello. “This method, different from those followed in other areas of the world, could lead to a higher concentration of bioactive substances.”

“It will be very interesting, now, to explore this aspect. Coffee is an integral part of Italian lifestyle, which, we must remember, is not made just by individual foods, but also by the specific way they are prepared.”