Drinking coffee or tea linked to lower risk of developing head and neck cancer

Did you think your morning cup of tea or coffee was just a way of surviving a rude awakening? Think again.

These beverages could also reduce your risk of developing certain cancers, according to a vast analysis published in the scientific journal, Cancer.

Cancers of the head and neck, including those of the mouth, throat and pharynx, are among the most common forms of the disease.

They account for 4% of all cancers diagnosed worldwide, according to the Anticancer Fund and the European Society for Medical Oncology.

Some studies have suggested a possible link between coffee or tea consumption and an increased risk of developing this type of cancer, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm this.

To explore this possible association, researchers from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium analysed data from 14 studies involving over 25 000 participants. Of these, 9 548 patients had head and neck cancer, while the others served as a control group.

The researchers found that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day reduced the overall risk of head and neck cancer by 17%.

Coffee appears to be particularly beneficial in reducing the risk of cancers of the mouth (-30%) and throat (-22%).

Tea, for its part, offers comparable benefits: drinking a cup or less a day is associated with a 9% reduction in the overall risk of these cancers, and 27% for cancers of the hypopharynx (i.e. lower throat).

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Cancer prevention benefits: What the research says

And that’s not all: decaffeinated coffee also offers benefits, with a 25% reduction in the risk of mouth cancer.

On the other hand, the researchers warn that excessive tea consumption — beyond one cup a day — could increase the risk of laryngeal cancer by 38%. In other words, tea should be enjoyed in moderation.

These findings highlight the need for a better understanding of the various effects of these hot beverages on different areas of the body.

“Coffee and tea habits are fairly complex, and these findings support the need for more data and further studies around the impact that coffee and tea can have on reducing cancer risk,” study co-author, Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, said in a news release.

Although this study is promising, Yuan-Chin Amy Lee and colleagues stress the need for further research to better understand the mechanisms involved.

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