Objective:

this study aimed to evaluate if there is an association of intake of coffee and its polyphenols with mammographic findings in women treated at a breast care service unit of the Unified Health System (SUS), Brazil.

Research methods and procedures:

this was a cross-sectional study with 532 women treated at a health service. The participants were divided according to their mammographic reports into two groups: without and with altered findings. Two 24-h dietary recalls were applied and coffee consumption was categorized into three groups (less than 1 cup, 1 to 3 cups, and more than 3 cups). Phenolic acids were determined using the Phenol Explorer program. The intake of polyphenols was calculated by adding the values obtained from the total amount of coffee consumed during the day. The Multiple Source Method (MSM) was applied to analyze the usual intake.

Results:

of the 532 women, 178 (33.5 %) had altered mammographic findings. The participants' average daily coffee intake was 193.4 mL. No significant association was found between coffee consumption and mammographic findings. However, it was found that the second tertile of polyphenols was a protective factor for breast changes.

Conclusion:

coffee polyphenols are protective against breast changes in the group evaluated and, thus, can help prevent breast cancer.

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