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Study: Cup Of Coffee Reduces Liver Cancer Risk

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A cup of coffee was associated with a 20 percent reduction in the risk of developing liver cancer, according to a Times Live report about a study performed by researchers in the UK.

According to the findings published in the BMJ Open, researchers from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh discovered the more coffee a person consumed, the less likely they were to develop hepatocellular cancer (HCC), which is the second leading cause of death from cancer globally.

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Reviewing data from 26 observational studies with more than 2.25 million participants, researchers found that two cups led to a 35 percent reduction and up to five cups led to a 50 percent reduction.

According to Times Live, lead author Dr. Oliver Kennedy said, "We're not suggesting that everyone should start drinking five cups of coffee a day though. There needs to be more investigation into the potential harms of high coffee-caffeine intake, and there is evidence it should be avoided in certain groups, such as pregnant women."

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Researchers also found that existing and new coffee drinkers benefited from the same reduced risk, per the report.

In addition, decaffeinated coffee consumers also had a protective but smaller percentage of reduction.

Kennedy added, "Our findings are an important development, given the increasing evidence of HCC globally and its poor prognosis."

By 2030, the number of new cases of HCC annually will have risen by about 50 percent, effecting more than 1.2 million people.

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