A new research shows that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee may help patients suffering from colon cancer. Coffee can decrease the risk of the deadly disease tumor and even death.
The study conducted by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston studied found that consuming about 460mg of caffeine which is equivalent to four or more cups of coffee per day can offer great benefits especially to those who have stage III colon cancer. Little benefit was experienced by patients who drank one cup of coffee or less.
The study includes 1,000 patients who all had undergone chemotherapy and surgery for colon cancer in the third stage. The cancer patients displayed a better survival against the disease. Compared to those who don't drink coffee who have 33% rate of surviving from the colon cancer, people who consume the said drink have 42% survival rate. Those who drink lesser amount of coffee experienced the same health benefit but to a lesser degree.
During the course of the study, the subjects were asked to list the food they eat and their activities during the day including the exercise they made. The head of the study Dr. Charles Fuchs who is also the director of Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gladly announced the great benefits of coffee.
"There is already an abundance of evidence that diet and lifestyle can have a great deal of positive impact in terms of reducing the risk for developing colon cancer," said the lead author.
"Now we have found that caffeinated coffee seems to independently improve the outcome for colon cancer patients," he added.
However, the researchers clarified that the study was only focused on analyzing the link between lowering the risk of colon cancer and coffee consumption. The study cannot explain the cause and effect relationship. They also said that it would be unwise to conclude that coffee is the answer to reduce the risk of the said disease. They still need further studies to confirm their findings.
Earlier, a study involving 5,600 men and women showed that increasing the amount of coffee can increase the risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
The study about the link of coffee consumption and colon cancer was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
