Coffee could combat skin cancer

The aptly named Allan Coffey is part of a team which has conducted research, the findings of which suggest that a coffee a day may be enough to ward off non-melanoma cancer. But should you rush to swap your morning cup of tea for a coffee hit?

Not necessarily, as it’s caffeine which has been highlighted as being effective in inhibiting the production of a protein called ATR. By using mice which had been genetically altered to suppress this production of ATR, the team at University of Washington, led by Dr Paul Nghiem, found that when subjected to UV rays, the modified mice did not immediately contract cancer. When exposed for a longer period of time, all mice did eventually develop cancer but at a slower rate than those not modified.

Prior research has indicated that caffeine inhibits ATR but as yet, there is no definitive proof that drinking caffeine will protect you from non-melanoma cancer. We suggest you keep slapping on the sunscreen and staying in the shade.

For more information on this study, visit the University of Washington.