what is the truth about coffee and breast cancer?

Anonymous

I LOVE coffee - and live in Seattle, which seems to make you need coffee.

My naturopathic doctor told me to seriously limit coffee, not caffeine as it contributes to dense, fibrocystic breast tissue.  Now, I drank a lot of coffee, at various times of day.

I have also heard that it is a phyto-estrogen, and then on the other hand has a lot of antioxidents.

I am curious what the rest of you have heard or read.  I am down to 2 cups a day, and no longer get headaches when I skip it.  

I switched to green tea until I started chemo, and my naturopathic told me to stop green tea while I am doing chemo.

Any thoughts - with or without studies - welcome.

Susan

crazy4carrots

Interesting subject, Susan!  My reading indicates that coffee contains antioxidants and that, if we are coffee drinkers, it's actually possible to get more antioxidants from coffee than from anything else (because some of us drink more "servings" of coffee in a day than eat servings of dates or blueberries -- other highly antioxidant-rich foods).  I have not read anything to indicate it contains phytoestrogens.

On the other hand, it can worsen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, and it also seems to act as a diuretic.  And the "energy high" it gives can be highly addictive!

Sounds as though your "2 cups a day" is just about right!!

Linda

Anonymous

lindasa - I know, 2 cups can't be that bad.  I really try to believe that certain things in moderation is fine, but it seems like you read conflicting articles all of the time!

S

Anonymous

I think the jury is still out on coffee. I have read (and tend to believe) all the things you mention in the first post.

Another similar situation is alcohol intake. All data shows an increased risk of breast cancer, while equally good data shows that in moderation it is heart-beneficial.

Moderation, as you say, is the key.

amberyba

I am with april, that is a good Idea"MODERATION"...alot of women drink coffee and don't get BC, my mom has drank coffee all her life...no cancer.

My sister and I do indeed drink coffee, both had BC.....but I don't think coffee caused our cancer.

pod1257

I wonder what part of coffee the naturopath is referring to that is detrimental to breast cancer survivor's?

 I haven't checked any articles or studies recently about coffee. I know also, it is high in anti-oxidants and has a high potassium content, as well. (Potassium is beneficial for lowering Blood Pressure, but I guess if it's caffeinated, that pretty much cancels out the BP benefit.)

 Giving up my coffee is absolutely one thing I don't know if I could ever do. There is no comparison in my opinion, to the rich, smooth taste of coffee vs the weak, bland taste of ANY tea.

Julie

Anonymous

pod1257 - I really can't remember why she said coffee in particular I should avoid, and my husband can't remember either.  I will ask her when I see her in a couple of weeks.  However, it was coffee and not caffeine.  I am with you - LOVE MY CUP OF JOE!  Tea is fine but not the same. 

Moderation is the best answer.  What I think is so ironic is that my mother drinks tons of coffee and at least 3 glasses of white wine a night (EVERY night) for years, is 72, 10 years of HRT, first mammogram at 50 - no breast cancer!   She is not moderate, and so far is fine.  I rarely drink, no HRT or birth control pills, no risk factors yet here I am at 44.  So I think the answer is....who knows?!

Thanks for all the posts - I will post my naturopatics reason when I see her.  

Susan

Anonymous

Julie, there is no compelling reason to give it up, so why bother?

I did give it up, about a decade ago, simply because of the link to increased anxiety. That has helped me. I loved coffee, still miss it some, but not that much.

You would be surprised how robust good leaf tea can be (not Lipton's tea bags). I brew a cup every morning that is almost as dark as a cup of coffee, and full of body. It is from the Assam state of India. It's different from coffee, much less caffeine, but quite flavorful.

pod1257

LJ13- Well maybe I'll give tea another try sometime. - Maybe I just need something stronger.

Aprilgirl 1-

The story about your mom is interesting. Go figure?!

I know when I was going in for my bilateral mastectomy in 06, I said to the anesthesiologist. - this is what I get for taking good care of myself all these years!! I did pretty much all the right things. Little good did it do me.

Julie

nellski

I am glad someone brought this topic up because I love my cup of coffee...  I'm wondering if we should be brewing 'organic' coffee - maybe that would help with some of the negatives...

A thought on sisters having bc and mothers not - is it possible that the father is a carrier of the bc genes that get passed to the daughters...

Anonymous

Organic can't hurt.  As far as the gene carried by men the answer is yes.  Men can also get breast cancer.  I think it is rare but can happen.

Joy232

I am down to 1 cup a day in the morning.  I love coffee but I have read it drains calcium out of the bones.  I am osteopenia and trying to to everything I can't to keep it from getting any worse.

Chutney

so hard to know given the "experts" change their opinions every other day. Diet, environment, pesticides, plastic in microwaves, PABA in cosmetics, hormones & antibiotics in our drinking water - what a mess.  I picked up a copy of "what your doctor may not tell you about breast cancer" by John Lee, MD  A lot of it is about the drug industry's financial clout in determining how we are "treated" for cancer.  While coffee isn't mentioned specifically, it's a pretty enlightening text. 

Liz08

April-

I couldn't imagine someone living in Seattle giving up their coffee totally. It's beautiful there but when it's rainy you definitely need the coffee.  We have family that lives there and they (both the men and women) drink the strong stuff and NO breast cancer.  I see a naturalpath too but don't recall her telling me to stop coffee.  I'm seeing her again in a month and will try to remember to ask about the coffee. However, I would think that organic coffee would be better than regular...  I recall reading that coffee as Lindasa and others mentioned contain antioxidents which are actually very good for us so go figure..... I guess everything in moderation is the key to staying disease free.

PT63

Just chiming in here.

I love my coffee and my caffeine - 2 cups per day plus 1 diet coke.  I also love my white wine - 1 glass per eve. Thurs through Sunday.  After I was diagnosed I cut out all of it after I read all these different articles on whether or not this or that causes breast cancer.  I was sooooo depressed.  Then I realized that I still need to enjoy life so I started back up "in moderation".

But I had to laugh when I read Susans' post :

Moderation is the best answer.  What I think is so ironic is that my mother drinks tons of coffee and at least 3 glasses of white wine a night (EVERY night) for years, is 72, 10 years of HRT, first mammogram at 50 - no breast cancer!   She is not moderate, and so far is fine.  I rarely drink, no HRT or birth control pills, no risk factors yet here I am at 44.  So I think the answer is....who knows?!

My great aunt lived to 103 and my grandmother is still alive at 92.  Coffee all day every day.  No breast cancer.  Maybe the problem is that we have been too moderate!  Maybe we should go for excess! ;-)

fairy49

PT63! I think you are right! My mum drinks and smokes, 78, never had a mammogram, my grandma 98 same thing......so I am thinking its a crap shoot whichever way you look at it, you HAVE to enjoy life, and not stress about everything, the stress is what's bad for you!!

althea

I just finished reading Natalia Rose's Raw Food Life Force Energy, and she concedes that a cup of coffee in the morning is ok.  Andrew Weil suggests giving it up completely.  These authors were speaking to ways of achieving optiumum health in general, not assessing cancer risks. 

Personally, I used to makes jokes about what would happen to any doctor who might have the misfortune of telling me to give up coffee.  I didn't think I'd ever see the day when I'd even think about giving it up.  I too used to live in the pacific northwest, and coffee just doesnt seem optional up there.  When I went through chemo, though, I gave it up for many weeks and really didn't miss it.  I drink it just once a day. 

From what I've read, the main thing that's bad about drinking coffee or anything with caffeine is it stresses the adrenal glands.  

debisongbird

I also love my cup of coffee in the morning (2 cups to be honest.) However, I have switched to organic coffees. The reason is because  I know they spray pestisides (on just about everything) and coffee cannot be washed to get them off. Also, the pestiside laws in other countries (where most coffee comes from) may not be as strong as our, therefore they could spray higher concentrations of pestisides. So, just to be safe...I choose organic coffee.  And yes, I also realize that it does cause some stress to the adrenals, so I make 1/2 caf. and 1/2 decaf. Tastes great and less caffeine.

lsassy40

I went in for a check up with my oncologist last week.  She found 2 new nodules in my breast that previously had cancer and asked me if I drink a lot of coffee (not caffeine).  I said I did and she told me that it is bad for me and that it irritates fibrocystic breast disease.  She told me to cut it out totally.  I have not done this as of yet. In 2007 I went through surgery, chemo, radiation and Herceptin.  I go in next week for a diagnostic mam and us.  Who knows what the answer is but my doctor specifically said coffee. 

KathyNSW

Hi Everyone.

Just wondering , coke wouldn't be good to drink in small ammounts, maybe.

I like coke in small ammounts., but if it will cause problems , i will stop drinking it.

I am drinking about 3 cups of green tea a day.

Don't drink coffee ( maybe a decaf once or twice a month).

Am going to try the flaxseeds, supposed to be good for you.

Any other ideas on what would be good to take, and what vitamins can you

take while on tamoxifen. Started 2 weeks ago.

Thankyou for any ideas.

rayhope

I know that coffee contributes to fibrocystic disease.  However, is it still bad for those of us who have had bilateral mastectomies?

lindatwo

aprilgirl1, 

I was just curious as to why your naturopath said to stay away from green tea during chemo?  About the coffee, my mom was diagnosed with IDC in 1990 at the age of 63.  She drank at least a pot of coffee every day of her adult life; sometimes making a second pot in the afternoon. I, on the other hand, do not like coffee, and have maybe had all of 6 cups total my whole life. I was diagnosed with IDC at the age of 57. So who knows?

Linda

Anonymous

Linda - I totally agree on the who knows - my mom  (71) did HRT and drinks 3 glasses of wine a night and has never had breast cancer ( or any cancer).  I rarely drink, no HRT or birth control pills, and have BC...at 44.

Regarding the green tea - I can have it in moderation (like one cup) but it has to do with the antioxidants - too many antioxidants can change cellular activity which the chemo is targeting and we don't want that during chemo.  I think that is how they described it.  My oncology nurse told me the same thing.

Prior to chemo and after I am to have lots of green tea.

Susan

Katalin

My naturopath also suggested no coffee, or one coffee on the weekends at most, and use green tea instead for a caffeine boost.  I am hooked, though on coffee.  2 a day.  What no one here has mentioned yet is that coffee creates an acidic imbalance in the body.  It's believed (Kris Carr Crazy Sexy Cancer and many many others) that acidic blood balance feeds cancer, while alkaline keeps cancer at bay with an inhospitable environment.  Foods that are alkalizing are greens, etc.  I won't go into the whole thing because I'm not an expert, but if you enjoy peeing on a stick, (doesn't everybody love peeing on a stick???)   you can get pH sticks at your health food store and see which foods make you acidic, and which make you alkaline.  Indeed Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Cancer forum has one of the best explanations of this theory.  She's got a very serious untreatable cancer which has led her to explore alternative solutions, and her research has taken her to this place, along with other solutions, which many people agree are helpful.  I personally am sitting firmly on the fence on the coffee thing, but I do think there is something to this alkalinity issue. 

Anonymous

Katalin - my naturopathic also told me to substitute my coffee with green tea for the caffeine - I just LOVE coffee - so limit it to 2 cups a day. 

Interesting about the acidic theory - I will look into that.  

Susan

lindatwo

Susan,

That is good to know, I was drinking lots of green tea before chemo; guess I'll cut back to one cup or so until my treatment is over.  I also avoided HRT, (went through menopause at 46), because of the cancer risk, breast fed my kids, etc. etc.  I think I agree with Fairy49, we will never have all of the answers, we just have to enjoy life and do the best we can.

Linda