According to the results of a Dutch clinical study, regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of relapse and mortality by a third in patients in remission of colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer represents the second leading cause of cancer death in Canada, accounting for nearly 10,000 deaths in 2021, twice as many as breast and prostate cancer (approximately 5,000 deaths each year).
One of the factors contributing to the mortality rate of colorectal cancer is the relatively high rate (20-30%) of patients who experience relapses of this cancer in the years after the end of treatment.
These relapses are a bad omen as they are often more resistant to treatment and therefore reduce the patient’s likelihood of survival. Therefore, finding ways to reduce the frequency of such relapses is extremely important to increase the life expectancy of people affected by this disease.
Survive cancer
As with all types of cancer, reducing the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence begins with adopting certain lifestyle habits that slow the progression of cancer cells.
One of the most important factors is maintaining a normal body weight with a body mass index of 19 to 25 kg/m2: excess weight is often associated with chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, which are important risk factors for cancer.
These two risk factors are also strongly influenced by regular exercise, so it is important to engage in regular physical activity while avoiding long periods of being completely sedentary (sitting or lying down).
Finally, since the colon is in direct contact with what we eat, it goes without saying that the quality of your diet can greatly influence your risk of developing cancer or recurrence. In this sense, it is clearly established that reducing the consumption of red meat (particularly cold meats) combined with increasing the consumption of plants is a winning combination that minimizes both exposure to carcinogens and creates optimal conditions for anti-cancer protection. may slow tumor progression.
Coffee as a reinforcement
Once the general principles of an anti-cancer diet are known, it is always interesting to identify additional components that may provide additional protection and further reduce the risk of cancer. According to a recent study, drinking coffee regularly could be one such interesting addition.1.
In this study conducted in the Netherlands among 1,719 colorectal cancer patients, researchers observed that those who drank 4 cups of coffee or more per day had a 32% lower risk of recurrence and mortality compared to those who drank less than 2 cups. coffee a day. .
These results are consistent with previous studies that have shown that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.2 as well as other studies that have noted a reduced risk of certain types of cancer in regular coffee drinkers, especially liver cancer.
Coffee is a complex beverage containing several hundred bioactive phytochemical molecules, and it is increasingly clear that its anticancer effects are a consequence of the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative properties of these molecules.
It also appears that the gut microbiome processes these coffee components to produce additional bioactive metabolites with anti-cancer properties.
Overall, there is no doubt that coffee is an interesting addition to an anti-cancer diet, particularly for reducing the likelihood of recurrence in colorectal cancer survivors.
1 Oyelere AM et al. Coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality. Int. J Cancer 2024; 154:2054–2063.
2 Grosso J. et al. Coffee, caffeine and health effects: a general overview. Anna. Rev. Nutr. 2017; 37:131-156.
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