Drinking Coffee May Lower Your Risk Of Melanoma

New findings published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that drinking coffee could help to protect against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

"We found that four or more cups of coffee per day was associated with about a 20 percent reduced risk of malignant melanoma," said lead study author Erikka Loftfield, a doctoral student at Yale University School of Public Health who is completing her dissertation work at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, via Health Day. 

For the study, researchers examined data from a study run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the AARP. A food questionnaire was sent to 3.5 million AARP members in six different stages, including the following: California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania; as well as two cities, Atlanta and Detroit.

The questionnaire asked participants info on coffee drinking for close to 447,400 white seniors in 1995 and 1996. Then, the study authors followed up with participants for an average of 10 years.

Researchers made sure to adjust for numerous factors during the study, including age, sex, alcohol intake, smoking history and physical activity. All participants were also cancer-free when they filled out the questionnaire.

Findings revealed that those who drank the most coffee every day typically enjoyed a lower risk of melanoma when compared to those who drank little to no coffee.

Researchers also found a trend of protection for those who drank more of the caffeinated beverage. For instance, those who drank one to three cups a day had a 10 percent decreased risk of melanoma when compared individuals who drank none. On the other hand, those who drank for or more cups had a 20 percent decreased risk.

There was also a trend toward more protection with higher intake. People who drank one to three cups a day had about a 10 percent decreased risk of melanoma compared with those who drank none at all, while those who drank four or more cups had a 20 percent decreased risk.

Researchers believe that the added caffeine in the coffee is what the apparent protection is from; this would mean that decaf coffee would not be effective. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that caffeine can help protect skin cells against ultraviolet-B radiation.

However, researchers cannot rule out the possibility of decaf coffee having some beneficial elements as most of the participants strictly drank caffeinated coffee. Therefore, it's impossible to determine the full potential health benefits, if any, of the drink at this time.

"The main message really is that sun and [ultraviolet] radiation exposure are the major risk factors for melanoma," she concluded. "It is important to study other factors to better understand the cause of this disease, but we must keep these major risk factors in mind."

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