Coffee protects against liver cancer while alcohol is linked with numerous cancers, major new study confirms

A cup of coffee a day could keep liver cancer away, but alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for several cancers, a new study has confirmed.

The research explored the association between food and nutrient intake and the risk of developing or dying from 11 different cancers. Led by Dr Kostas Tsilidis, senior lecturer in cancer epidemiology at Imperial College London, researchers conducted an umbrella review looking at data from 860 reviews (meta-analyses) of published studies to determine these connections.

The study found that coffee consumption was inversely associated with the risk of liver cancer, possibly due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of its chemical compounds, which protect against diseases triggered by inflammation like cancer. It also found that coffee was linked with lower rates of skin basal cell carcinoma – the most common form of skin cancer.

Conversely, it found that drinking alcohol was positively associated with a risk of developing a number of different cancers, including liver, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophageal, colorectal and postmenopausal breast cancer.

When alcohol is metabolised, it breaks down into chemicals that can bind to DNA, which can result in mutations that can become carcinogenic. Alcohol is also known to increase circulating estrogen and androgen concentrations which are linked to the development of some kinds of breast cancer.

Reflecting on existing research in the field, the team of scientists said that one of the issues in the field is that assessments of dietary intake are often only conducted at one point during studies, which can lead to the underestimation of some diet and cancer associations.

They also said that previous research has tended to focus on the effects of single nutrients and foods, which independently may be unimportant, but when combined with overall dietary patterns and external factors could become more significant.

The study’s authors have said that future research around diet-related risk factors for cancer should focus on new methods in order to measure the time-varying nature of nutrition, overall diet patterns, biological processes involved in the diet, and interactions of diet with external environment, behaviour and genetics.

Dr Giota Mirtou, the director of research and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) agreed. She said: “Further research needs to better understand the mechanisms involved in the links between coffee and cancer as well as between alcohol and different cancer subtypes.”

Authors concluded the study by urging policy makers to develop public health strategies that target diet-related risk factors for cancer, particularly alcohol consumption and obesity.

Dr Mirtou added that the study “confirms the evidence we have for alcohol and coffee in relation to cancer”.

“As always,” she said, “we continue to encourage limiting alcohol intake as part of our Cancer Prevention Recommendations which include being a healthy weight, being physically active and enjoying a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and pulses.”

The study, funded by the WCRF – a leading cancer prevention charity that funds research around diet, physical activity and cancer – was published in Nature.