Study says coffee protects against oral cancer
22 Jun 2010
A study has found that drinking four cups of coffee a day gives protection against oral cancer, while heavy coffee drinkers are 39 per cent less likely to suffer from cancers of the mouth and pharynx says a new study.
Doctors have long warned people that excess coffee drinking can elevate blood pressure and increase heart rate.
They have also said that chemicals in coffee can both cause and prevent cancer.
However, according to the researchers, there is strong evidence that some of the 1,000 chemicals in coffee, including antioxidants can offer protection against cancers.
The American scientists used information from nine studies in Europe, America and Central America, that compared the coffee drinking habits of around 5,000 cancer patients and more than 9,000 healthy people.
After factoring in smoking, diet and alcohol habits, they found that regular coffee drinkers were around 39 per cent less likely to develop cancers of the mouth and pharynx than people who drank no coffee.