Coffee is the greatest drink in the world. It definitely outperforms the next best drink, which is maybe water? This means that coffee is good at preventing cancer in the body above the shoulders. A modern study has found that regular coffee consumption is associated with a 17% decrease in the incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC).
As reported Guardianthe study was recently published in the journal By American Cancer Society. Researchers analyzed 14 different studies involving participants from Europe, North America and Latin America, totaling more than 9,500 with HNC and almost 16,000 without.
Taking into account socio-demographic and lifestyle factors – “age, gender, number of cigarettes smoked per day, alcohol consumption and fruit and vegetable consumption”, etc. – and dividing participants into groups based on daily coffee consumption, the researchers found that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day was associated with a 17% decrease in the odds of developing any type of HNC compared with non-coffee drinkers. Oral cancer was particularly reduced by 30% and oropharyngeal cancer by 22%.
Meanwhile, drinking 3-4 cups of this drink was associated with a 41% reduction in the likelihood of developing hypopharynx cancer. Drinking decaffeinated coffee and drinking less than one (but more than zero) cups a day was associated with a 25% reduced risk of oral cancer.
These findings, although purely observational, support the idea that coffee has a positive effect on the development of HNC and that this is not solely due to caffeine. No exact relationship has been established to confirm whether these findings are due to coffee consumption or other factors – for example, coffee drinkers may be less likely to drink alcohol, which could have a knock-on effect.
The signs once again point to coffee being a health boon. So pour some down your esophagus because it’s good for your esophagus.
