Coffee: 4 Cups a day keeps the (cancer) doctor away

Go ahead, have your morning cup of caffeinated coffee (no decaf!). And then have three more.

A recent 10-year study published in JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that four cups of the popular beverage every day can reduce the risk of contracting skin cancer. Among the 450,000 participants, those who consume coffee are 20% less likely to develop malignant melanoma – a common type of skin cancer. In Singapore, skin cancer is the sixth most common type in both genders, with malignant melanoma being the most deadly.

“Our results, and some from other recent studies, should provide reassurance to coffee consumers that drinking coffee is not a risky thing to do,” said study researcher, Erikka Loftfield, a doctoral student at the Yale School of Public Health as quoted from Live Science. She goes on to add, “However, our results do not indicate that individuals should alter their coffee intake.”

Coffee as an Alzheimer-fighting agent

According to a different study by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), drinking three to five cups of coffee per day reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease by 20%. The research suggests that the compound, polyphenol, usually found in fish, fruits and vegetables, is crucial in maintaining cognitive processes. And you guessed it, coffee is chockfull of polyphenol.

The beverage is also loaded with antioxidants, proving to be a more efficient source than fruits and veggies combined. It claims to fight depression and lower the risks of other diseases like Parkinson’s and Type II Diabetes. Not to mention it burns more fat as it increases your metabolism rate.

From preventing cancer to increasing our metabolism, we now know coffee is more than just a beverage to keep us awake at work. How about we head off to the nearest coffee shop and get our daily fix in?

Natasha Gan