Coffee Could Protect Against Mouth Cancer

Mon, 22 Dec 2008

Drinking a cup of coffee a day could significantly reduce the risk of mouth and throat cancers developing, a new study has revealed.

Scientists at the Tohoku University School of Medicine in Japan studied patients' drinking habits for 13 years and found those drinking at least one cup a day were much less likely to develop tumours in the mouth and throat than those who drank coffee on a less frequent basis.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, suggest that certain chemicals found in caffeine could protect the body's DNA against damage caused by smoking and excessive drinking – the main causes of both types of cancer .

Researchers in Japan found that 157 of the 40,000, 40 to 64 year old, volunteers examined over a 13-year period developed mouth cancer .

After analysing their diet and lifestyle, they found those drinking at least one cup of coffee every day were 49 per cent less likely to be affected than those who rarely or never drank it.

Commenting on the results, the scientists said: "One of the most significant findings was the inverse association between coffee and those at high risk of these cancers, namely current drinkers and smokers."

"Although quitting alcohol and smoking is the best known way to help reduce the risk, coffee could be a preventive factor."

According to Cancer Research UK, mouth cancer is responsible for around 1,600 deaths a year in the UK, while cancer of the oesophagus leads to a further 7,400 fatalities.
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