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THE HABIT of drinking coffee or tea is associated with a reduced risk of cancer in areas such as the mouth, throat, nose and larynx, according to a new study published in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society.
As cited in the Medical Daily broadcast on Tuesday (12/24), 2024, the results of a review of 14 studies by scientists who are members of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium showed that regular drinking of coffee or tea may reduce the risk of cancer in the head and neck, including oral cavity cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.
People who drink more than four cups of coffee a day have a 17% lower risk of head and neck cancer, a 30% lower risk of oral cancer, and a 22 percent lower risk of oropharyngeal cancer. Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of hypopharyngeal cancer by up to 41%, according to the study.
The researchers said a dose-response relationship was seen between drinking more than four cups of caffeinated coffee per day and a reduced risk of head and neck cancer and all subcategories of cancer.
Even drinking decaffeinated coffee may provide benefits, according to the study. People who drank up to one cup of decaffeinated coffee per day were associated with a 25% reduced risk of oral cancer.
For tea drinkers, drinking up to one cup of tea per day was associated with a 9% reduced risk of head and neck cancer and a 27% reduced risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. However, drinking more than one cup of tea per day was associated with a 38% increased risk of laryngeal cancer.
“Previous studies have shown an association between coffee and tea consumption and a reduced risk of cancer, but this study highlights the different effects across subcategories of head and neck cancer, including the finding that decaffeinated coffee also has a beneficial effect,” said Dr. Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, study author.
“Coffee and tea drinking habits are complex, and these findings highlight the need for more data and further research to understand the impact of coffee and tea on reducing cancer risk,” he said in a press release. [antaranews]
