Consuming coffee regularly can help both prevent the recurrence of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure , according to a recent study by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (USA) and reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
In their study of nearly 1,000 participants , patients treated with surgery and chemotherapy for advanced colon cancer had a 42% lower chance of the cancer coming back and a 33% lower risk of dying from cancer , after consuming four or more cups of coffee a day (which is equivalent to about 460 milligrams of caffeine).
The more coffee the patients consumed, the greater the benefit. Thus, drinking a cup a day or less provided virtually no benefits ; however, after four cups the positive effects changed significantly. This is the first study to make this association between caffeine and colon cancer protection.
“Coffee drinkers had a lower risk of cancer recurrence and significantly greater survival and chance of cure,” explains study leader Charles Fuchs.
According to the authors , the results of the experiment are entirely due to caffeine and not to any other component of coffee. However, why caffeine causes such a positive effect is less clear and requires more research.
Regarding the recommendation to drink coffee daily: “If you are a coffee drinker and are receiving treatment for colon cancer, do not stop drinking it, but if you do not regularly consume coffee, you should discuss it with your doctor before you start. drink coffee ”, clarifies Fuchs.
