Green tea has gotten a lot of press for its healthy properties. But it turns out that coffee may be better for your colon, according to research reported in the International Journal of Cancer.
Studies show that certain behaviors are associated with colorectal cancer. For example, the risk of developing colon cancer increases if you are physically inactive, obese, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, or eat a diet high in meat, refined grains, and fats, especially those from animal sources. In addition, smokers are 30-40% more likely to die of colorectal cancer than nonsmokers.
Now researchers believe that coffee – not green tea – reduces the risk of colon cancer.
When researchers reviewed data on the beverage-drinking habits of more than 96,000 Japanese men and women over a 10-year period, they found that coffee significantly lowered the risk of colon cancer in females.
Women who regularly drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a 32% lower risk of colon cancer than those who almost never consumed coffee -- even after taking into account factors that could have affected risk. Colon cancer risk was not reduced for men, and neither women nor men had a reduced risk of rectal cancer.
Researchers are not sure why coffee appears protective, since caffeine is in green tea as well. The beneficial effect, they say, may have come from another substance in coffee.
The investigators caution that their results need to be confirmed by other researchers, but these findings do provide some degree of reassurance for women who savor a morning brew and have been concerned about possible adverse effects on the colon.
Data reported in the International Journal of Cancer (Volume 121, page 1312).
