Four Coffees A Day Keeps Cancer Away, Study

Drinking at least four cups of caffeinated coffee per day increases skin protection and reduces the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancers, says a report from Science World Report.

The study first published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute said that drinking four cups of coffee is inversely related to the likelihood of contacting malignant melanoma and lowers the risk for at least 20 percent.

Further, as reported in University Herald, the study also suggests that protection climbs up as one increases its coffee consumption. The required number, however, only applies to caffeinated coffee. It also has not explored the effect of coffee on cutaneous melanoma (malignant and in situ).

Started in 1995/1996, the 447,000 male participants are made to participate in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study using self-administered food-frequency questionnaire. At that time, all of them are cancer-free. A median follow-up of ten years is also conducted.

In the questionnaire, information about the participants' residential ultraviolet radiation exposure, body mass index (BMI), age, sex, physical activity, smoking history and school intake was also solicited and considered.

Despite promising findings, researchers still advised the public to not solely rely on coffee as protection for their skin. Further, they still recommend that a healthy lifestyle is a must to lower the risk of melanoma, Wall Street OTC reports.

Also, the research needs further testing in different populations.

Meanwhile, the news source cites some ways suggested by Alice Bender, associate Director of Nutrition Programs at AICR to improve one's lifestyle and prevent the risk of skin cancer.

"Being active every day, putting plenty of plant foods like fruits, vegetables and grains on your plate and limiting or avoiding alcohol. The good news is that these same strategies lower risk for many other common cancers and chronic diseases," she said.