Rejoice! Your Daily Cup of Joe May Reduce Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer

You’re probably drinking coffee as you read this, and you may want to go get another cup after you finish. Studies from the US and Israel have found that around 2.5 servings of coffee per day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 50%. And for a cancer that is the second most common cancer among men and women combined (skin cancer is the first,) that is incredible news. For numbers, more than 95,000 new cases of colon cancer and 39,000 new cases of rectal cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year.

The study was conducted by Dr. Stephen Gruber of the University of Southern California (USC) Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

Research was done using participants that were part of the Molecular Epidemiology and Colorectal Cancer (MECC) study, a population-based, case-controlled study done in northern Israel. It involved analyzing the data of 5,145 individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer, along with 4,097 people who did not have the disease.

During the study, the participants completed a food frequency questionnaire, detailing their daily intake of espresso, instant, decaffeinated and filter coffee, as well as their daily consumption of other beverages; they also detailed their family history of cancer, diet, physical activity levels, smoking habits and other factors that may affect the risk of colorectal cancer.

The participants who drank one to two servings of coffee a day (defined as moderate coffee consumption,) reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by 26% compared with those who drank less. And even better news! The participants who drank more than 2.5 cups of coffee a day had a 50% less chance of developing colorectal cancer. This also included decaffeinated coffee.

"We were somewhat surprised to see that caffeine did not seem to matter," says Dr. Gruber. "This indicates that caffeine alone is not responsible for coffee's protective properties."

Researchers explained that while caffeine is not responsible for coffee’s protective effect against colorectal cancer, both caffeine and polyphenol have antioxidant properties that can reduce the growth of colon cancer cells. Coffee also has a compound called malanoidins which are produced during the roasting process and boost colon mobility. Another compound is diterpene, which may boost the body’s defense against oxidative damage which prevents cancer development.

"The levels of beneficial compounds per serving of coffee vary depending on the bean, roast, and brewing method," says first author Stephanie Schmit, Ph.D., also of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. "The good news is that our data presents a decreased risk of colorectal cancer regardless of what flavor or form of coffee you prefer."

Even though coffee consumption is much less common in Israel, where the study was performed, the results indicated that the protective effect of coffee exists across all types, and so the researchers believe there is no reason to believe the findings would not be applicable to Americans.

Coffee consumption has been widely hailed as having a wide variety of health benefits as of late, including staving off multiple sclerosis, cutting liver cancer risk, and reducing mortality. Dr. Gruber added that while further research is needed before they can recommend coffee consumption as a preventative strategy for colorectal cancer, “there are few risks to coffee consumption, so I would encourage coffee lovers to revel in the strong possibility that their daily mug may lower their risk of colorectal cancer.”

I don’t know about you, but that's more than enough of an excuse to drink an extra cup for me!


ClermontRadiology.com