Study: Alcohol Consumption Linked to 11 Types of Cancer, But Coffee Offers Protection (Additional Coverage)

Researchers combed through data from 860 studies to analyze the link between cancer and various nutrients.

Source: https://www.usnews.com/

August 5, 2021

Drinking alcohol could increase a person’s chances of getting nearly a dozen types of cancer, new research suggests. But drinking another type of beverage could protect against some of them.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Imperial College London found that drinking alcohol “is a major risk factor for several cancers, including breast, CRC [colorectal cancer], esophageal, head and neck and liver cancer.”

However, the study concluded that consuming at least one cup of regular or decaffeinated coffee could protect against liver cancer and skin basal cell carcinoma.

Additionally, researchers stated that eating dairy and multigrain foods could also lower the risk of colorectal cancers.

The researchers combed through data from 860 reviews of published studies in order to analyze the link between cancer and various nutrients.

“We found highly suggestive evidence that coffee intake was inversely associated with risk of liver and skin basal cell carcinoma,” researchers stated. “The beneficial effects of coffee consumption might be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of its phytochemical compounds that may protect against diseases triggered by inflammation like cancer.”

Giota Mitrou, director of research and innovation at World Cancer Research Fund, which funded the research, told The Guardian that the review “confirms the evidence we have for alcohol and coffee in relation to cancer.”

However, he added that more research needs to be conducted.

“Further research needs to better understand the mechanisms involved in the links between coffee and cancer as well as between alcohol and different cancer subtypes,” Mitrou said.

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