Drinking three or more cups of coffee a day could lower your risk of developing the most common type of skin cancer, a study in the US has found.
The study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, analysed data from 112,897 participants over a period of 24 years, finding a link between the heavy consumption of coffee and caffeine and a reduction in the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma (BCC), reports msnbc.
Researchers discovered that women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day were deemed to be 20 percent less likely to develop the slow-growing form of skin cancer, compared with those who drank less than one cup a month.
Similarly, in men, the study observed a nine percent reduction in the risk of developing BCC, but found that coffee consumption did not affect the risk of melanoma, the least common, but most deadly form of skin cancer.
Fengju Song, a dermatologist and researcher involved in the study said that while results did not indicate a direct cause and effect link, and further research was needed, any associations or apparent benefits of diet in reducing the risk of cancers is positive step.
"Given the nearly one million new cases of [BCC] diagnosed each year in the United States, daily dietary factors with even small protective effects may have great public health impact," he said.
Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world and approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight is the leading cause of skin cancers including BCC, which is the most common type of skin cancer, with an estimated 296,000 new cases diagnosed in Australia in 2008.
Studies previously conducted on animals have suggested the consumption of caffeine in coffee may also help eliminate skin cells that have been damaged by UV rays.
Correlations between the consumption of coffee and reduced risk of developing breast, prostate and other cancers have also been made. "To the best of our knowledge, coffee consumption is a healthy habit," Song said.
But despite the associations made in the study, protective measures such as wearing a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and covering up are still recommended over any apparent benefit from drinking coffee.
The study, which has not yet been published, was presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Boston.
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