Protect yourself against oral cancers by drinking caffeinated coffee, according to a new American Cancer Society study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The poor cup ‘o Joe has gone from being demonized as being bad for your health to actually turning out to do good things for our bodies!

According to the study, people who drank more than four cups of regular coffee, not the decaf kind, per day had about half the risk of death from oral cancers as compared to those who rarely or never drank coffee. Previous studies had suggested that coffee intake was associated with a reduced risk of oral cancers, but this study looked at the association between caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee, and tea drinking with fatal oral cancers. It seems that drinking tea doesn’t offer any protection and drinking less coffee per day offers some protection but not as much as 4 cups.

“Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and contains a variety of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other biologically active compounds that may help protect against development or progression of cancers,” said lead author Janet Hildebrand.

Screening for oral cancer is a regular part of your dental examination – did you know that? While you are here we can also polish away those coffee stains and if your smile is getting a little yellow over time, we can talk about your alternatives for bleaching your teeth.

Please contact cosmetic dentist Dr. Mark Levy serving the Columbus, OH area at 614-476-6696 today to schedule your next appointment.