Drinking coffee can reduce risk of colorectal cancer, says study
Posted on: 04/Apr/2016 2:54:41 PM
According to a new study drinking coffee may decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC). The study was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
The study included 5100 men and women who had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer with six months. In addition, it also had 4000 men and women who had no history of the cancer. These people served as a control group. All participants shared details of their daily consumption of boiled (Espresso), instant, decaffeinated and filtered coffee, as well as their total consumption of other liquids. They also shared details about family history of cancer, diet, physical activity and smoking.
Say the researchers, We found that drinking coffee is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, and the more coffee consumed, the lower the risk. The data showed that even moderate coffee consumption, between one to two servings a day, was associated with a 26 per cent reduction in the odds of developing colorectal cancer after adjusting for known risk factors. Moreover, the risk of developing colorectal cancer continued to decrease to up to 50 per cent when participants drank more than 2.5 servings of coffee each day. We were somewhat surprised to see that caffeine did not seem to matter. This indicates that caffeine alone is not responsible for coffee protective properties. Caffeine and polyphenol can act as antioxidants, limiting the growth of potential colon cancer cells. Melanoidins generated during the roasting process have been hypothesised to encourage colon mobility. Diterpenes may prevent cancer by enhancing the body defence against oxidative damage.
