Archive for August 30th, 2007

Can Coffee Prevent Skin Cancer?

August 30, 2007

coffee_drinker_print_web.jpgI was asked whether drinking coffee would be better than drinking caffeineated soda.  Trying to cut down on coffee but increasing intake of the diet soda may in fact not be a good idea because of the many studies linking coffee and health benefits.

A new study showed that a cup of coffee before going to work especially after a morning exercise can be healthy especially for the skin. This study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 30, 2007,  shows the combination of caffeine and regular exercise “appears to help kill some of the precancerous cells damaged by the sun’s ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation.”

The study was done using mice where one group of mice drank the human equivalent of two cups of coffee a day while the other group voluntarily ran , and a third did both.  All the subjects were then exposed to UV radiation from lamps that damaged their skin cells.

Results: The rate of cell death among the precancerous cells was highest in the group that drank caffeine and exercised.

Implications: If precancerous cells destined to be cancer can be aborted by whatever mechanism then it has a tremendous impact in the prevention of disease.  This new data therefore is promising because this shows that drinking coffee can probably be of benefit to the prevention of skin cancer.

This is just one of the many health benefits now attributed to drinking coffee.  Is it the caffeine itself or also the coffee in itself that has benefits need to be answered.

So Grab A Cup and Enjoy The Taste for Health!

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Posted in General Health Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Personal Thoughts | 4 Comments »