Caffeine is more than a jolt of energy from your morning coffee, tea or carbonated cola drink. It is the world’s favorite psychoactive substance, with sales exceeding 120,000 metric tons a year, or the equivalent of a serving for every person in the world per day. Over the years, many studies have established both the positive and negative aspects of caffeine on your body. Coffee, green tea and other high caffeine drinks are credited with all sorts of health benefits, including weight loss, and can drastically decrease your odds of developing life-changing diseases such as asthma and Alzheimer’s disease. However, whether caffeine pills are able to prevent prostate cancer is still inconclusive.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland, which is part of the male reproductive system, and is the second most common cancer in men, affecting over 200,000 in the United States each year. By the time men reach their mid-80s, they will probably have experienced one of the three major forms of prostate problems: prostatitis, benign prostate hypertrophy (BHP) or prostate cancer. Beginning preventive measures early helps maintain a better prostate health prognosis. One particular prevention could possibly be coffee. A study by Harvard University kept track of 50,000 men over a 20-year period and discovered that those who drank over six cups of coffee a day were 20 percent less likely to get prostate cancer than those who never drank it at all.
Positive and Negative Caffeine
As the Harvard study suggests, coffee, green tea and caffeinated beverages may aid in the prevention of prostate cancer and other diseases. Antioxidants found in these caffeinated drinks are released into the blood stream and alter sex hormones, regulate blood sugar and cut inflammation, all of which are directly related to the prostate gland. Green tea contains powerful antioxidant polyphenols that appear to kill off cancer cells. However, side effects do occur, including restlessness, sleep deprivation or insomnia, and over-stimulation of the heart and central nervous system. The caffeine can also have a diuretic effect on the body and cause an elevated rate of urination.
Caffeine Pills
Some men may not want to consume six or more cups of caffeinated liquids during a day, but another option to consider is caffeine pills or tablets, which have been on the market for several years. A doctor should be consulted before beginning a regimen of caffeine pills to thwart prostate cancer. The stimulant in the caffeine pill is as much as 200 milligrams per pill, while most people only ingest about 76 milligrams of caffeine a day.
Dangers of Caffeine Pills
A doctor may advise for or against the use of caffeine pills in your diet. Caffeine intoxication can lead to coma and death, and it's easy to overdose. Like the natural or liquid forms of caffeine, side-effects are just as prevalent in pill form, including heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, chest paints and other neurological symptoms. Before using caffeine pills to decrease your risk of prostate cancer, ask your doctor. Perhaps all you need is a good cup or two of coffee.
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