Coffee & Cancer Facts

A regular cup of coffee contains a number of antioxidants that are good for health. Antioxidants are chemical compounds present in foods that help to shield the body from various toxins and can even be preventative in the development of cancer in the body. Most antioxidants are derived from plants, coffee being one of them. Research done has shown that there are many antioxidant benefits of coffee. In these research studies conducted by various universities, however, there was no apparent relation found between the consumption of coffee and cancer development in a person; many believe that the amount of coffee that would need to be consumed in order to reap the anti-cancer benefits of the antioxidants found in coffee is just too high. It has been shown; however, that drinking coffee in moderation can decrease risk of cancer development for coffee drinkers as compared to non-coffee drinkers. Here are some of the cancers that have a decreased risk for coffee drinkers:

* Breast Cancer: Research from Malamo University in Sweden and The Harvard School of Public Health in Boston have shown that women who drank two or more cups of coffee a day were at A lesser risk of cancer as compared to women who drank no coffee at all. The cancer preventing properties of coffee have been attributed to caffeine present in the coffee that modifies the carcinogenic components of female sex hormone Estrogen.
* Skin Cancer: A cup of coffee after a walk in the sun can help reduce the risk of skin cancer. According to a study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, coffee consumption can cut the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer by 35%. The antioxidants present in coffee have a protective effect on the DNA synthesis, and this can help decrease the cell division of the cells.
* Liver Cancer: Coffee drinking has been shown to have a preventive effect on cirrhosis which is the starting stage for liver cancer compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who drank up to 1-2 cups of coffee daily had a 50% less risk of first stage liver cancer. Caffeine present in coffee is found to be the main reason for coffee's effect on liver cancer.
* Colon Cancer: Drinking more than five cups of coffee a day can lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Along with increasing the movement of food in the bowels, coffee is believed to help reduce the production of bile acids that are known to increase the threat of bowel cancer. Antioxidants present in coffee also play a significant role in preventing cell damage.