According to a comprehensive analysis of nearly 25,000 people, drinking coffee and tea may reduce the risk of head and neck cancer. This study, supported by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, found that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day reduced the overall risk of the disease by 17 percent.
In particular, drinking coffee showed significant benefits: oral cavity cancer was reduced by 30%, throat cancer by 22% and hypopharyngeal cancer by up to 41%. Even decaffeinated coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of oral cancer by 25 percent. Drinking tea, on the other hand, offered benefits, albeit modest ones: head and neck cancers were reduced by 9 percent and hypopharyngeal cancers by 27 percent.
Researchers suggest that polyphenols, bioactive compounds found in coffee and tea, may be responsible for these effects by acting as antioxidants and anticancer agents, inhibiting processes such as cell proliferation and metastasis. However, they emphasized that excessive consumption of these drinks should be avoided and that further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
Tom Saunders, a professor at King’s College London, said factors such as smoking and alcohol could influence the results and should be taken into account in these analyses. Despite these cautions, the data is encouraging for those who use these drinks regularly.