That Extra Coffee Could Cut Your Oral Cancer Risk

More good news for coffee lovers! Last week we reported that coffee can cut your risk of diabetes. Another research study has confirmed the health benefits of drinking caffeinated coffee. A new American Cancer Society study has found that people who drink more than four cups of coffee a day cut their risk of dying from oral and phyaryngeal cancers in half compared to non-coffee drinkers or those who only occasionally drink coffee.

A large group of over 968,000 American men and women were followed for 26 years.  Those who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from oral or pharyngeal cancers. Risk was cut with each additional cup of coffee consumed each day.

A similar link was found between those who drank more than two cups of decaf coffee a day, but the findings were only marginally significant.

No protective association was found from drinking tea.

Of note is that researchers based their findings on fatal cases of oral and phyaryngeal cancers that occurred in subjects who were cancer-free at the beginning of the Cancer Prevention Study II in 1982.

Although these types of oral cancers are less common in North America, they rank in the top 10 of most common cancers around the world.

Researchers are curious to find out whether drinking coffee after an oral cancer diagnosis can lead to a better prognosis.

When choosing your morning java, be sure to check out fair trade options that ensure a fair wage for coffee farmers and shade-grown coffee that helps protect precious forest habitat.