NEW YORK, June 8 (Reuters Health) - Whether they choose espresso, latte, brewed or instant, men who drink four or more cups of coffee each day have a 45% lower risk of developing gallstones, according to a report in the June 9th issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the study of 46,008 men aged 40 to 75 with no history of gallstone disease, men who regularly consumed coffee had a reduced risk of gallstone disease during 10 years of follow-up compared with men who did not drink coffee on a regular basis.

Men who drank two to three cups of regular coffee per day had a 40% reduced risk of developing gallstone disease than non-Java drinkers, and those who drank four or more cups per day had a 45% lower risk.  No such effect was observed with consumption of tea, decaffeinated coffee, or low-calorie caffeinated soft drinks, the investigators report.

SOURCE: The Journal of the America Medical Association 1999.  Copyright Reuters Limited 1999