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Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2006 - 19:07:47 |
A Japanese study, published in a recent issue of Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggested that drinking two or three cups of coffee a day may help prevent liver cancer.
The study surveyed more than 90,000 people for a period of 10 years. The study found that those who drank two or three cups of coffee a day were linked to a 50 percent lower risk of liver cancer compared to those who did not drink coffee.
Literally, those who rarely drank coffee had an incidence rate of liver cancer at 547.1 out of 100,000 people over ten years. In comparison, the incidence rate for those who drank coffee daily dropped to 214.6.6 per 100,000.
The present study could not tell if there was any difference between caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. But decaffeinated coffee is not commonly used in Japan.
The study could not explain why there is the association between drinking coffee and lower risk of liver cancer. It was believed that antioxidants in coffee may be at least one of the responsible factors.
Previous studies have found that drinking coffee may help repair injury of the liver caused by viruses such hepatitis C and B viruses.
Another study published in the same journal suggested that drinking decaffeinated coffee can lower the risk of rectal cancer by 52 percent.
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