Will drinking coffee prevent colorectal cancer?

Will drinking coffee prevent colorectal cancer? | @healthbiztips 
Photo credit: BRUNO CERVERA @brunocervera @unsplash

Will drinking coffee protect against colorectal cancer?

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan | health blog

Multiple studies confirm that drinking coffee cuts risk of developing colorectal cancer, the third most common form of malignancy in the United States. Coffee contains bioactive compounds that exert antioxidant effect on the human body. This may come as a surprise to some but in fact, coffee contains more antioxidant than green tea.

Although, not all studies say so. Let's first look into those research that favors coffee's efficacy for colorectal cancer.

Antioxidants fights damaging free radicals people usually get from the environment and the unhealthy foods they consume. Among the potent compounds found in coffee are polyphenols, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acids, ferulic, cumaric acids, and melanoidins (produced by roasting coffee beans). Furthermore, unfiltered coffee beans contains more antioxidants diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol).

There are many theories explaining how coffee exerts protection against colorectal cancer. Foremost, it is high antioxidant content which counteracts the delirious effect of free radicals. Drinking coffee also increases bowel motility, reduces secretion of bile (an enzyme needed to digest fat). Furthermore, laboratory study shows that intake of coffee is associated with an increased number of good bacteria count such as Lactobacillus in the colon 

Decaffeinated coffee also exerts anticancer property against colorectal cancer making experts believe that caffeine is not significant in colorectal cancer prevention.

What's more, a study shows that individuals who received treatment for colorectal cancer and who drunk 2-3 cups of coffee per day have a marked decline in remission rate whereas those who consume 4 or more cups of coffee have lower rates of cancer remission.

Coffee INCREASES risk of colorectal cancer

On the other hand, a study in 2014 by Yamada and colleagues had a different revelation. They found that coffee intake significantly increases the risk of Japanese men developing cancer, but women did not. However, it is worth noting that there was a relatively higher portion of smokers among their male participants compare to their female counterpart.

Moreover, according to the study by Green and colleagues, drinking 1 or more cups of iced coffee per week is linked to an increased risk of rectal cancer.

As, you can see, there are conflicting results. There's even a study by Terry and colleagues that found no effect in consuming coffee for colorectal cancer prevention. In addition, there are various factors that may affect the outcome like concurrent food choices, bad habits like drinking and smoking.

It is worth noting that despite the possible effectiveness of the bioactive compounds in coffee as a potential anti-cancer agent, no expect up to this point recommend nor denounce it as an alternative or supplemental treatment for colorectal cancer.

Resources:

Bułdak, Rafał J et al. “The Impact of Coffee and Its Selected Bioactive Compounds on the Development and Progression of Colorectal Cancer In Vivo and In Vitro.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 23,12 3309. 13 Dec. 2018, doi:10.3390/molecules23123309

Schmit, Stephanie L et al. “Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer.” Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology vol. 25,4 (2016): 634-9. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0924

Sinha, Rashmi et al. “Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea intakes and risk of colorectal cancer in a large prospective study.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 96,2 (2012): 374-81. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.031328

Yamada, Hiroya et al. “Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.” Journal of epidemiology vol. 24,5 (2014): 370-8. doi:10.2188/jea.je20130168

Green, Chadwick John et al. “Tea, coffee, and milk consumption and colorectal cancer risk.” Journal of epidemiology vol. 24,2 (2014): 146-53. doi:10.2188/jea.je20130063

Terry, P et al. “Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in a population based prospective cohort of Swedish women.” Gut vol. 49,1 (2001): 87-90. doi:10.1136/gut.49.1.87