4 cups of coffee a day keeps colon cancer away

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Coffee is known to be one of the most favored stimulants especially by working adults because it can instantly perk you up with just one cup. Furthermore, a new study now relates drinking coffee to a reduced risk of developing colon cancer in individuals.

Science Daily writes that based on a large-scale study conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, regular intake of coffee can help prevent colon cancer recurrence and provides an improved chance of the cancer being cured. An astounding 42 percent of the patients have reduced their risk of getting the cancer again while 33 percent are said to less than likely die from colon cancer.

Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, lead author and director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the institute, said if patients want to get the benefits, they would have to consume three to four cups because a cup or less of coffee showed no or little significance at all. The team has been able to identify that most of the colon cancer recurrences occur within five years while undergoing treatment. Patients who are in stage 3 have about 35 percent chances of the cancer recurring because based on their findings, the cancer has been found in the area of the lymph nodes and no signs of metastasis have been noted.

The study, which has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has observed and followed about 953 stage 3 colon cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy and surgery, The New York Times reports. These patients are asked about their detailed daily food intake pattern and lifestyle during the chemotherapy and six months after treatment. The questionnaires include inquiries about caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, soft drinks, chocolate drinks and herbal or non-herbal tea.

Factors like gender, age, sweet intake, caloric intake, physical activity and the like are adjusted to control the differences among the patients but usage of aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs are not adjusted. The researchers have been able to analyze that the reduce risk may be entirely directed to caffeine consumption, which is possibly due to its characteristic in increasing insulin sensitivity in the body and reducing inflammation.

However, Dr. Fuchs is not entirely convinced that experts should start advising their patients to increase their intake of coffee as this is the first study to dabble on the matter, Medical Daily adds. The doctor noted that if the patient is currently a coffee drinker and undergoing treatment for colon cancer, there is no need to stop, but if the patient is not a coffee drinker, it would be best to consult a physician first.