Another Study Shows Why Coffee Drinkers Have Lower Risk

Coffee Drinkers Are Consuming Tonnes of Coffee

Coffee drinkers have been enjoying this popular drink for centuries. Previous research has shown there are many health benefits of drinking coffee, which may be due to its high levels of antioxidants.

There are millions of people all over the world who love coffee. According to Euromonitor Research, coffee is one of the most commonly consumed beverages worldwide. Here are some of their incredible coffee statistics:

The Queens University study took place in the UK over 7.5 years. It looked at the coffee-drinking habits of 471,779 participants in the UK Biobank. The study is one of the largest studies of middle-aged individuals in the world.

The research team’s overall findings suggested a reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer in coffee drinkers, compared to those who did not drink coffee.

Dr. Úna McMenamin, a researcher from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and co-author of the study, said: “This is one of the first studies to investigate the risk of digestive cancers according to different types of coffee. We found that the risk of HCC was just as low in people who drank mostly instant coffee, the type most commonly consumed in the UK.

Coffee Drinking Is A Habit That’s Good For You

McMenamin adds, “We need more research to determine the possible biological reasons behind this association.”

Drinkers were more likely to be older, male, from less deprived areas, and have higher education levels. They were also more likely to be previous or current smokers. Coffee drinkers consume higher levels of alcohol and have high cholesterol. Coffee drinkers were also less likely to have chronic conditions such as diabetes, cirrhosis, gallstones, and peptic ulcers compared with non-coffee drinkers. After taking these factors into account, the researchers found that coffee drinkers were 50% less likely to develop HCC compared to those who did not drink coffee.

Coffee Lowers Risk, but Stopping Smoking Is Better

Lead author Kim Tu Tran, a postgraduate research student from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University said: “People with a coffee-drinking habit can find keeping that habit going is good for their health.  That is because coffee contains antioxidants and caffeine, which may protect against cancer.

“However, drinking coffee is not as protective against liver cancer as stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol, or losing weight.” The rates of liver cancer have risen by 60% in the UK in the last decade.

Bottom Line On Drinking Coffee

The World Cancer Research Fund’s report also supports these findings.  They concluded that there is ‘probable’ evidence to suggest that coffee drinking lowers the risk of liver cancer.

The Queen’s University researchers also investigated other digestive cancers, such as bowel and stomach, but found no consistent links to coffee drinking.

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