In addition to keep us awake, coffee in scientific research is proving increasingly benefits for human health, for example, as an assistant to burn fat, reduce the risk of diabetes, protect the liver and stimulate memory, among others. To this list, a new study adds a protective role against malignant melanoma.
In an article published in 'JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute', the authors of the research explain that drinking coffee may be linked to lower risk of developing malignant melanoma. In general, the higher coffee consumption was inversely associated with the risk of malignant melanoma, with a 20 percent lower risk for those who drank four cups a day or more.
The work done by Dr. Erikka Loftfield, Division of Epidemiology and Cancer Genetics and the National Cancer Institute US, and colleagues also found a trend toward greater protection under intake rises with increasing protective effect from a cup or less to four cups or more.
However, the beneficial effect detected was statistically significant for caffeinated coffee but not decaf and only in the case of protection against malignant melanoma, but not against melanoma in situ, which may have a different etiology, according to results of the analysis, in which data from 447,357 subjects obtained non-Hispanic whites in 1995-96 and followed for ten years were used.
All individuals included in the analysis were free of cancer at baseline and authors adjusted the data by environmental exposure to ultraviolet radiation, body mass index, age, sex, physical activity, alcohol consumption and snuff. Scientists say the results are preliminary and may not apply to other populations.
Recognizing the need for more research on this issue, these experts conclude that "because of its high burden of disease, changes in lifestyle with even modest protective effects can have a significant impact on morbidity of melanoma."
Written by Marta Hualde to Gastronómica News