Scientists have found no link between coffee consumption and cancer

Coffee is one of the most controversial beverages, which more often than any other product becomes a topic of discussion and scientific research. Fans of caffeine can be calm - the drink has no effect on the development of colorectal and other types of gastrointestinal cancers. This conclusion was reached by Chinese scientists after analyzing a biobank of data.

For a long time, scientists believed that apolipoprotein B - the so-called carrier of "bad cholesterol" that causes clogging of blood vessels, is directly related to coffee consumption. But recent studies have pleasantly surprised scientists - the drink has no effect on onco, and even on the contrary - can be useful.

Coffee is not the enemy: Chinese scientists have disproved the harm of coffee

Until today, scientists were guided by several studies that allegedly confirmed that the use of coffee affects the development of gastrointestinal cancer. Researchers have argued that the beverage affects levels of the endogenous protein apolipoprotein B, which has been linked to a 19% increased risk of colorectal cancer and a 39% increased risk of GI cancer.

However, a new study by Chinese scientists from the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Hospital of China Medical University has refuted the findings that coffee affects the development of colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal cancer.

The researchers found no causal link between drinking the beverage and GI cancer. Experts conducted a randomized analysis of coffee consumption and apolipoprotein B using data from the UK Colorectal Cancer and GI Cancer Biobank from the FinnGen Biobank.

To establish causality, gastroenterologists and researchers from the First Hospital of China Medical University, led by Mingliang Feng, MD, used the Mendelian randomization method.

Apolipoprotein B may be an effective biomarker

The study authors concluded that apolipoprotein B levels were "strongly associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer." However, the researchers could not find any conclusive evidence linking coffee consumption to gastric cancer, colorectal cancer or esophageal cancer.

The results of the study show: apolipoprotein B may be a useful biomarker for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. The authors declared no competing interests and considered the observational nature of data analysis to be the main limitation of their study.

Of note, another large study from California scientists involving more than 5,100 men and women found: coffee, regardless of the level of caffeine in the beverage, is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.

"We found that coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, and the more coffee consumed, the lower the risk," said Steven Gruber, senior author of the study and director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

As much as one of the world's most popular beverages has been demonized, scientists increasingly agree that coffee has beneficial, antioxidant properties. A new study by Chinese scientists confirms once again: caffeine is not linked to GI cancer risk, refuting several other scientific studies linking coffee to cancer.