Higher coffee consumption is linked with a lower risk of endometrial cancer, a recent meta-analysis of relevant studies found.
The analysis, which was published on January 19 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research, included 24 studies on coffee consumption, and 9,833 new cases of endometrial cancer occurring in 699,234 people.
Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lining of the uterus. Approximately 40% of cases are related to obesity, but it is also associated with excessive estrogen exposure, high blood pressure and diabetes. Endometrial cancer is the third most common female cancer, after breast and cervical cancer.
According to the analysis, people in the highest category of coffee consumption had a 29% lower chance of developing endometrial cancer than those in the lowest category.
The authors of the analysis, Yu Gao, Peiling Zhai, Fang Jiang, Fushun Zhou and Xinbo Wang, highlighted several mechanisms that have been associated with the potential anti-cancer effects of coffee due to a variety of compounds, including polyphenols, diterpenes and melanoidins that have been reported to modulate anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant body responses.
Coffee has also been associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease, stroke and early death, including in a study from October 2021, which examined the coffee-drinking habits of more than 468,000 British citizens and found that this was true for people who drank up to three cups of coffee a day.