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Coffee helps reduce cancer risk
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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There is good news for coffee lovers. In addition to the fact that this aromatic drink helps people to perk up, it also reduces the risk of developing oral cancer by almost half. Therefore, a cup of coffee in the morning can be drunk not only for a final awakening, but also as a preventive measure to reduce the threat of dangerous cancer.
These data were presented by scientists from the American Cancer Association.
Experts say that daily consumption of the drink has a powerful protective effect against malignant tumors in the mouth and throat area.
It turned out that people who drink at least four cups of the drink every day have a half the risk of developing oral or pharyngeal cancer compared to those who drink coffee rarely, occasionally or not at all. Scientists report that decaffeinated coffee can also reduce the risk of developing tumors, but its effect is inferior to the properties of caffeinated coffee, while tea has no such effect at all.
Previous research by scientists aimed at studying the beneficial effects of coffee on the human body has already proven the relationship between drinking this drink and reducing the risks of oral and pharyngeal cancer. The new study, which began in 1982, involved 968 thousand Americans. Throughout the entire period, the experts had the goal of finding out how well the data obtained in previous studies would justify themselves and what the results would be within the framework of a large-scale project.
At the beginning of the study, all volunteers were examined for oncological diseases. None of the participants showed any signs of the presence or development of oral and pharyngeal cancer. However, during the entire observation period, 868 people died from these types of cancer.
Participants continually reported to the experts what their diet consisted of and, in particular, how many cups of coffee they consumed daily.
A comparison of the eating habits of people who died from oral and pharyngeal cancer and those who showed no signs of the disease during the entire period suggests that drinking natural coffee in quantities of at least four cups a day reduces the risk of developing these forms of cancer.
For those who drank coffee every day and did not limit themselves to three cups, experts found a 49% reduction in risk.
Decaffeinated coffee also provided some protection, but not as much as regular coffee. Unfortunately, tea lovers have nothing to cheer about, as their favorite beverage does not provide protection against any of the cancers mentioned.
"The results obtained are of considerable importance, because drinking coffee can be used as a preventive measure against such dangerous diseases as oral and pharyngeal cancer. Incidentally, these types of cancer are among the ten most dangerous and widespread forms of oncological diseases. Considering that coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, its consumption can help to minimize this danger," the researchers summarize.
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