So, you’re one of those who can’t really function until you’ve had your morning cup o’ joe?
Well, there’s some good news for coffee lovers — that cup of java could be helping ward off colon, liver and endometrial cancer.
Coffee contains more than a thousand chemical compounds, and many, including caffeine, chlorogenic acid and cafestol, have known bioactivity with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Although further research is needed, the extensive study on the effects of coffee detected an association between increased consumption of coffee and improved cancer outcomes, including advanced or metastatic cases.
A second review found that coffee drinking is also associated with lower risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, chronic liver disease and type 2 diabetes. On the flip side, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that there was inadequate proof of the carcinogenicity of coffee drinking.
The 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee state that drinking up to 5 cups (40 ounces) of coffee a day is compatible with a healthy diet, with the exception of pregnant women. Other experts, including the World Cancer Research Fund, have not issued recommendations, citing uncertainty around coffee’s health effects.
Source: JAMA Oncology, Sept. 17, 2020