The November 15, 2007 issue of the International Journal of Cancer features an analysis of 13 previous long-term studies that cumulatively collected data from more than 3/4-million subjects over 7 to 20 years, that suggests that coffee and tea may be protective against kidney cancer.
Across the studies, subjects who consumed 3 or more cups of coffee per day were 16% less likely to develop kidney cancer than those who averaged less than a cup per day. People who drank just 1 8-ounce cup of tea each day had a 15% lower risk of the disease than non tea-drinkers.
Consuming milk, soda and juice seem to have no effect one way or the other.
The research team, led by Dr. Jung Eun Lee of Harvard Medical School, indicated that, while the study cannot show that coffee or tea drinking directly lowers the risk of kidney cancer, there are reasons why the beverages could be beneficial. Possible examples include that coffee and tea may increase the body's sensitivity to the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin, and it is suspected that over time, insulin levels may affect kidney cancer risk. Further, coffee and tea contain antioxidant compounds that may help protect cells in the kidneys from cancer-promoting damage.
Dr. Lee and the team indicate that more studies are needed to understand why coffee and tea might be protective against the disease.
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