Sure, you’ve heard plenty of bad things about coffee—it stains your teeth and all—but here’s some info that seems to encourage you to drink coffee, and lots of it. According to CBS News on Tuesday, the newest study has indicated that by drinking caffeinated coffee, people might be able to protect themselves from the most serious type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.
Prior to this study, researchers had found that coffee’s antioxidants had positive effects in protecting against other forms of skin cancer, but this is the first time melanoma has been included. Malignant melanoma is the fifth most common form of skin cancer and it is currently the leading type of skin cancer to cause death.
So what does it take for coffee to prevent skin cancer? After following study participants for 10 years and analyzing their eating and drinking habits, researchers found that coffee drinkers who consumed four or more cups of joe per day had a 20 percent reduced risk of developing the dangerous disease. But, if you’re really concerned about the cancer, you’re in luck. Increasing the number of beverages also increases the protective benefits.
However, the study only focused on non-Hispanic whites, since they have the highest risk for developing skin cancer. So, much more research is needed to determine if the caffeine benefits hold up for other populations. In the meantime, if you’re still inclined to consume coffee en masse, know you’re still protecting yourself from liver disease, depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
