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Kids' Health

Kids' Health > See Active Posts - Let's Talk!

Caffeine in coffee may help lower risk of skin cancer- should we drink more of it?

Posted by

gacgbaker

on Jul. 3, 2012 at 5:57 AM

8 Replies

Caffeine in coffee may help lower risk of skin cancer

Drinking more caffeinated coffee may help to lower the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, according to a new study.

Published in Cancer Research, a journal for the American Association for Cancer Research, the study was conducted by analyzing data from the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-term study meant to investigate factors that might influence women’s health, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, the corresponding study for men.

After looking at close to 113,000 participants, the researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston found that 22,786 ultimately developed basal cell carcinoma (BCC) during the 20-year period of follow up. Not only was there an inverse relationship seen between drinking coffee and developing BCC, but an increase of caffeine intake from all dietary sources – such as tea, soda and chocolate – also showed a decreased skin cancer risk.

“These results really suggest that it is the caffeine in coffee that is responsible for the decreased risk of basal cell carcinoma associated with increasing coffee consumption,” Jiali Han, associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston as well as the study’s lead author, said in a press release. “This would be consistent with published mouse data, which indicate caffeine can block skin tumor formation. However, more studies in different population cohorts and additional mechanistic studies will be needed before we can say this definitively.”

However, increased caffeine intake was not found to be inversely associated with the more aggressive forms of skin cancer – squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Posted by

gacgbaker

on Jul. 3, 2012 at 5:57 AM

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Replies:

1-8 of 8 replies

TigerofMu

Sonja on Jul. 3, 2012 at 8:06 AM

I'm thinking that it's "in moderation", just like any other good thing! Also, the article states " However, more studies in different population cohorts and additional mechanistic studies will be needed before we can say this definitively.”

And doesn't this mean that it doesn't work on those cancers?

"However, increased caffeine intake was not found to be inversely associated with the more aggressive forms of skin cancer – squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma."

TonyaLea

on Jul. 3, 2012 at 12:53 PM

There have been many studies on the benifits of caffine, but also some on the harms of it (like on the heart)

karamille

Gold Member on Jul. 3, 2012 at 7:27 PM

Helz yeah! I lift my coffee cup to this article. :D

TonyaLea

on Jul. 4, 2012 at 11:21 AM

rolling on floor Cheers to you! drinking

Quoting karamille:

Helz yeah! I lift my coffee cup to this article. :D

Vertical15

Vanessa on Jul. 4, 2012 at 11:39 AM

Like Sonja, moderation would be key :) I love my cup of coffee!

nessac1987

Member on Jul. 4, 2012 at 11:42 AM

I seen this on dr oz something about drinking 8cups of coffee a day can prevant I don't how different kinds of cancer.. I'm a total coffee hater though.. lol I can't stand the taste...

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