Coffee linked to reduced skin cancer risk

A new study has found that drinking coffee may reduce your risk of basal cell carcinoma(BCC), a common form of skin cancer. The research was published in the medical journal,Cancer Research.

After studying more than 112,897 individuals, both male and female. The analysis found that individuals who drank more than 3 cups of coffee per day were at significantly lower risk (17% lower) than those who rarely drank coffee.

Interestingly, the anti-cancer benefits of coffee seem to come from its caffeine content; decaffeinated coffee was not found to reduce the risk of BCC. Furthermore, dose-dependent correlations between caffeine intake and reduced cancer risk were noted in individuals who regularly consumed tea, soda, or chocolate.

The researchers noted that coffee/caffeine showed no protective properties against squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or melanoma.

The reduced risk of BCC in coffee drinkers is thought to be caused by caffeine’s triggering effect on apoptosis, a process by which damaged skin cells are removed.

Cancer Res. 72(13) July 1, 2012; doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3511