Drinking coffee can prevent colon cancer.

      Drinking a few cups of coffee a day helps slow the progression of colon cancer, a new US study said.

The study, conducted by a team of scientists at the Mayo Clinic Medical School in Phoenix, conducted for 13 years (from 2005 to 2018), monitored the health of nearly 1,200 patients and their daily intake of food and drinks. The results, published on September 17 in the journal JAMA Oncology, showed that those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day, had a 36% higher survival rate.

Metastatic colon cancer is an incurable disease, but diet and exercise increase longevity, says Christopher Mackintosh, an expert at the Mayo Clinic Medical School, part of the research team.

“Our research shows that patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer have a habit of drinking coffee, prolonging life,” said Christopher Mackintosh.

Specifically, patients who drink one cup of coffee per day can live for 30 months after diagnosis. People who drink 2-3 cups per day live for 32 months. People drink 4 cups of coffee or more, with a survival time of 39 months.

What’s more, coffee slows cancer progression. People who drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day find their condition worsening more slowly than those who drink one cup.

Previous studies have shown a link between coffee and cancer progression in patients with colon cancer that has not metastasized. However, according to Christopher Mackintosh, this is the first study on the effects of coffee on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Research shows a link, but it’s not enough to prove that drinking coffee actually reduces your risk of dying or developing colon cancer.

Christopher Mackintosh warns colon cancer patients not to drink a lot of coffee just because of the results of this study. Instead, he recommends that people with colon cancer who prefer coffee can continue enjoying without worrying about their cancer prognosis worsening.

This view is also endorsed by Erikka Loftfield, a researcher in cancer epidemiology and genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville: “This study reassures colorectal cancer people who enjoy enjoying coffee. “.

Loftfield said coffee contains thousands of chemical compounds, including hundreds of potential biological activities. For example, the polyphenols in coffee are anti-aging and anti-inflammatory, and caffeine can increase bowel movements.

Professor Andrew Chan, a professor at the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, who evaluated the study, explained: “Coffee contains many anti-inflammatory substances and makes cells sensitive to insulin, regulating blood sugar. “This is the mechanism to help reduce the risk of cancer”.

Experts Loftfield and Mackintosh both said that it is necessary to study more closely the role of coffee in the progression of colon cancer.