Coffee and Cancer

Coffee may Lower your Risk for Oral Cancer

Periodontal Associates has good news for a 100 million Americans out there. Your daily coffee drinking habit may not be as bad as you once thought! The University of Milan published findings that suggested coffee could help decrease the chances of developing mouth and throat cancers. 

In fact, coffee drinkers have 39% less risk if drinking less than five cups of caffeinated coffee a day.  400,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year, and it is the sixth most common cancer.   This new finding could prevent 156,000 people from oral cancer. 

In Denver, CO this news is very important as the cool weather makes snuggling up to a warm cup of coffee so inviting, especially since over half of the American population over the age of 18 drinks coffee every day.  For all of these great reasons, Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman always keep a hot and fresh pot of coffee on hand at the Aurora office. 

The study was published in the Cancer and Epidemiology Biomarks and Prevention journal.  The researches reviewed nine other oral cancer studies comparing 5,139 people with head and neck cancer to 9,028 people without cancer, and they found a common variable.  Coffee contains 1,000 different chemical and anti-oxidants that were also found in decreasing the risk of cancer in former studies.  These anti-oxidants have cancer fighting properties.  

Between all the contents, Professor André van Zyl said it was not yet known which specific substances provided anti-carcinogenic properties in coffee. ”Which of these substances actually protect against cancer in humans is a question for future studies,” he said.

It was also not clear which type of coffee was more beneficial, “but espresso is regarded as more concentrated beverage than percolated coffee – up to a factor of three”, said Van Zyl.  However, researchers do know that it is not the caffeine component as green tea drinkers did not experience the same effect.

The cancer fighting properties in coffee and certain foods does not stop at oral cancer, but coffee has also been linking to lowering the risk of womb and colon cancers while also helping cardiac disease.

Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman hope these studies can better promote the important of early detection and prevention instead of focusing on treatment.  Visiting us at Periodontal Associates is a huge step in the right direction as each doctor completes a full oral exam designed for cancer screening.  Patients need to be educated about the danger signs and how they may play a role in ensuring earlier diagnosis and, consequently, better survival rates.

Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman are specialists in oral health, and are prime fighters of not only oral cancer but gum disease as well.  Periodontal Associates works closely with each of our patients and their general dentist to give them individual treatment plans and optimum health! You cannot have a healthy body without a health mouth. If you have any questions or have not been in to see a dentist in over 6 months, give us a call at (303) 755-4500 and Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman will be sure to give you a through exam.  You can also schedule an appointment by clicking here or visiting us at www.periodontalhealth.com.