THE ESSENTIAL
- By analyzing 14 studies on nearly 25,000 people, researchers observed that consumption of more than four cups of caffeinated coffee per day reduced the overall risk of head and neck cancers by 17%.
- Decaffeinated coffee also has benefits: a 25% reduction in the risk of oral cancer.
- As for tea, a cup or less per day reduces overall risks by 9% and those of the hypopharynx by 27%. But consuming more than one cup daily increases the risk of laryngeal cancer by 38%.
Drinking daily by hundreds of millions of people around the world, coffee and tea could play a protective role against certain cancers. A new study, published in the journal Cancer of the American Cancer Society, suggests that consumption of these two common drinks reduces the risk of developing head and neck cancers – also called cancers of the ENT (otolaryngeal) sphere or upper aerodigestive tract ( VADS) – which represent 6% of all cancers.
The benefits of coffee and tea on cancer risk
To reach this conclusion, researchers examined the results of 14 international studies involving nearly 25,000 participants. They compared coffee and tea consumption habits between some 9,500 patients with head and neck cancers and some 15,500 people without the disease. The volunteers recorded their intake of coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated) and tea, indicating the quantities consumed per day, week, month or year.
The results show that drinking more than four cups of (caffeinated) coffee per day is associated with a 17% reduction in the overall risk of head and neck cancers. More precisely, this habit reduces the risk of oral cancer by 30% and that of throat cancer by 22%. Drinking three to four cups of coffee per day even reduces the risk of cancer of the hypopharynx, a region located at the base of the throat, by 41%. As for decaffeinated coffee, it is not left out: its consumption is associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of oral cancer.
Varied effects on head and neck cancers
Tea appears beneficial at low doses (one cup per day or less), reducing the overall risk of head and neck cancer by 9% and that of hypopharyngeal cancer by 27%. On the other hand, drinking more than one cup per day is linked to a 38% increase in the risk of laryngeal cancer.
“This study highlights varied effects of coffee and tea across different head and neck cancer subtypes, including the positive impact of decaffeinated coffee”summarize the researchers in a press release. Good news for lovers of these beverages, even if they should not replace traditional prevention advice, such as limiting alcohol and tobacco.
Health
Canada
