Consuming more than 4 cups of coffee per day would reduce the risk of relapse and death from colon cancer. Benefits entirely linked to caffeine.
Drinking coffee daily would reduce the risk of colon cancer recurrence and increase the chances of recovery and survival, reveals study published this Monday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This work is the first to show the benefits of coffee in colon cancer.
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute University (Boston, United States) found that regular coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and increases susceptibility to it. ‘insulin. Colon cancer occurs more frequently in people with hyperinsulinemia (higher than normal blood level of insulin) and obesity. They therefore sought to assess the effect of coffee on these risk factors.
At least 4 cups a day
To do so, they followed 953 patients with stage 3 colorectal cancer. These patients did not yet present with metastases but the cancer cells had already invaded the lymph nodes near the tumor. They had been treated with either chemotherapy or surgery and were to undergo adjuvant therapy to enhance the effectiveness of the former.
Following a questionnaire on their eating habits and the various treatments, the researchers were able to compare the effect of caffeine, decaffeinated coffee and tea on the resurgence of cancer. They note that volunteers drinking at least 4 cups of coffee per day (less than half a liter) have a 42% lower risk of relapsing and dying prematurely (33%) than the others.
Protection from caffeine
On the other hand, specialists indicate that drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day would provide modest protection and it would be almost zero if the consumption is equal to or less than one cup. Benefits due entirely to caffeine, scientists point out.
In view of these initial results, the authors cannot recommend that cancer patients increase their coffee consumption or start drinking it. Further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.
The person in charge of this work, Charles Fuchs, then advises coffee enthusiasts treated for colon cancer to continue consuming it as they currently do. For others, he advocates adopting healthy behaviors such as exercising or eating a balanced diet.
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