Consuming Coffee And Tea May Reduce The Risk Of Head And Neck Cancers

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Consuming Coffee And Tea May Reduce The Risk Of Head And Neck Cancers

Tuesday, 31 Dec 2024

A study conducted by the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the School of Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, United States, indicates that the consumption of coffee and tea in certain amounts may reduce an individual's risk of developing various types of head and neck cancers.

As reported by Everyday Health on Tuesday, December 24, the research compiled data from 14 previous studies involving 10,000 head and neck cancer patients, alongside a control group of 15,000 individuals without a history of the disease.

All participants completed a questionnaire detailing their dietary habits, specifically how much caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea they consumed.

Overall, individuals who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily exhibited a 17 percent lower risk of head and neck cancer compared to those who did not consume coffee at all, according to findings published in the journal "Cancer." Additionally, consuming one cup of tea each day was associated with a 9 percent reduction in the risk of head and neck cancer.

There was no significant correlation found between decaffeinated coffee consumption and the overall risk of head and neck cancer. However, drinking decaffeinated coffee was linked to a 25 percent lower risk of oral cavity cancer.

When researchers examined specific types of head and neck cancers, they discovered that consuming four or more cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 30 percent lower risk of oral cavity cancer and a 22 percent lower risk of throat cancer.

Furthermore, drinking 3 to 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily was linked to a 41 percent lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer, which occurs in the lower part of the throat.

Additionally, tea drinkers had a 29 percent lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer compared to non-tea drinkers. However, consuming more than one cup of tea per day was associated with a 38 percent increased risk of laryngeal cancer.