Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

In a study of nearly 50,000 US men, reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, it was found that men who drank six or more cups a day were found to be 20% less likely to develop any form of the disease.

The study found they were also 60% less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer, which can spread to other parts of the body.

The men in the study were asked to report their average daily intake of coffee over a 20 year period.

During the 20-year period, 5,035 of the men were diagnosed with prostate cancer.

There were only 642 fatal cases.

It was found that even relatively small amounts of coffee, one to three cups per day, were found to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30%.

Lead researcher Dr Kathryn Wilson, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told the BBC that if the findings were validated, coffee could represent a factor that could modify the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer.