A new study has shown that a person who consumes two to five cups of coffee has a greater protection against having cancer cells in their body. The study analyzed data from 26 observational studies that involved 2.25 million participants in calculating the relative risks of developing hepatocellular cancer (HCC).
In the study published in BMJ Open, researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburg in the UK has concluded that drinking one cup more of a caffeinated coffee a day is associated with a 20 percent reduction of having HCC. With two cups of coffee, it could have a 35 percent reduction of having the cancer cells while five cups of coffee could split the risk in half.
The protection from these cancer cells brought by coffee was observed to be the same for both people who usually consumes coffee and for those who do not. Although the study says that the more coffee consumed, the fewer chances of having HCC, the study has still few data available about it.
The Hindu Times has reported that decaffeinated coffee was also found by the researchers to be beneficial in protecting the body against the cancer cells. However, compared to caffeinated coffee, researchers said the effect is less marked.
"Coffee is widely believed to possess a range of health benefits, and these latest findings suggest it could have a significant effect on liver cancer risk," Oliver Kennedy said. He is from the University of Southampton and also serves as one of the researchers of this study.
"Our findings [on coffee] are an important development given the increasing evidence of HCC globally and its poor prognosis," he added. HCC is the second leading cause of cancer death globally because of its poor prognosis and high frequency, especially for people in China and Southeast Asia. This type of cancer cells mostly develops in people who suffers from the chronic liver disease.
