Does Sipping Tea, Coffee Reduce Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer?

Drinking tea or coffee is associated with a lower risk of developing cancers of the head and neck, including cancers of the mouth and throat, according to a review of previously published studies.

The latest outcome of a review of previous health studies have brought to light the link between how drinking either tea or coffee reduce risk of cancer developing in your head, neck, mouth, and throat. 

Drinking 3-4 cups of coffee daily was linked to a 17 per cent lower risk of head and neck cancer, while consuming one cup of tea was associated with a 9% lower risk, according to the findings published in the journal Cancer.

Previous research has shown that bioactive compounds in coffee and tea, such as caffeine, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which contribute to lowering disease risk. A recent study also suggested that coffee, in moderation, could promote healthy longevity.

"While there has been prior research on coffee and tea consumption and reduced cancer risk, this study highlighted their varying effects on different sub-sites of head and neck cancer, including the observation that even decaffeinated coffee had some positive impact," said senior author Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, from the University of Utah's School of Medicine, US.

For the study, researchers analysed data from 14 studies involving almost 9,550 patients with head and neck cancer and nearly 15,800 without cancer. The participants responded to questionnaires about their tea and coffee consumption in terms of cups consumed daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Compared to non-coffee drinkers, individuals who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily were found to have a 17% lower risk of head and neck cancer. They also had a 30 per cent and 22 per cent lower risk of cancers of the oral cavity and throat, respectively.

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