British: Ladies, please note — drinking upto five cups of coffee daily can protect you from developing oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer, which is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, says a new study.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have carried out the study and found that downing the caffeine drink everyday slashes a woman's risk of developing oestrogen -receptor negative breast cancer .
More than one in five British women is classified as obese, and research has found those affected are almost 50 per cent more likely to die from breast cancer than women carrying less weight.
Drinking just one large glass of wine a day also increases the chance of developing breast cancer by a fifth, say experts.
Again, the exact reason is unclear but it is thought alcohol raises levels of oestrogen in the body.
Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science at the WCRF, said: ‘We still have a long way to go to raise awareness about what women can do.
‘It is very worrying that in the UK there are tens of thousands of cases of breast cancer which could be prevented every year. People can do a lot to reduce their chances of developing cancer.
‘Overall, we estimate about a third of the most common cancers could be prevented through a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.’
The proportion of breast cancer cases believed to be avoidable is considerably higher.
Until more work is done, Professor Hall says he would not advise women to up their coffee consumption, especially since too much coffee can have side effects.
Yinka Ebo of Cancer Research UK, said: "This study does not provide firm evidence that drinking lots of coffee can help reduce the risk of breast cancer as it relied on people with cancer remembering how much coffee they drank years ago.
"Previous research on coffee consumption and breast cancer risk has produced mixed results, and the authors of this new study acknowledge that further work will be needed to confirm the findings."
He said there was good evidence, however, that women who are physically active, consume little or no alcohol and keep a healthy weight after the menopause are at lower risk of breast cancer.
