At some point in their lives, as many as half of all women have what is called benign breast disease. This catch-all term can include such diagnoses as fibrocystic breast disease, mastitis (inflammation of the breast), or simply “lumpy breasts.” Having benign breast disease is sometimes linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, but this is only true if a breast biopsy shows the presence of abnormal breast cells.
Many women with fibrocystic breast disease are told to avoid caffeine because this seems to help minimize the symptoms of the disease, which include lumps in the breast and sometimes pain and swelling. Accordingly, one theory is that avoiding caffeine may help women avoid breast cancer.
The problem, however, is that the results from the many different studies that have been done are mixed. Most studies seem to show no connection, but some smaller studies show a weak positive link, while others….
