I AM A TEA PERSON, MORE SPECIFICALLY, EARL GREY. But I also enjoy an occasional cafe latte.
As a cancer doctor, I was delighted to learn that in the battle against cancer, a surprising ally emerges from the depths of your morning routine: coffee.
I have many patients and friends whose colon or rectal cancer has spread to distant sites such as the liver and lungs.
The article is a hypothesis generation revelation that may reshape how I think about my morning caffeine fix.
Today, I’ll explore recent research that suggests we may someday redefine our approach to cancer risk reduction and survivorship.
Of course, in my usual fashion, I’ll begin by offering the takes of famous writers.
Gertrude Stein’s Musings on Coffee
Gertrude Stein (1874 — 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector.
Given the time she spent in Paris, I am not surprised by her observations:
“Coffee is a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.”
― Gertrude Stein, Selected Writings
Haruki Murakami’s Musings on Coffee
One of my favorite writers, Haruki Murakami, is widely considered one of Japan’s top writers.
I strongly recommend him if you like your readings sprinkled with a bit of surrealism (and references to America).
Here are some of Murakami’s thoughts on coffee:
“The fresh smell of coffee soon wafted through the apartment, the smell that separates night from day.”
― Haruki Murakami, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
If you run, you may enjoy the Japanese writer’s take on the practice:
The Running Novelist
If I wanted to have a long life as a writer, I needed to find a way to stay in shape.www.newyorker.com
Coffee and Colorectal Cancer
A new study analyzed 1,719 individuals with stages I to III colon or rectal cancer.
Researchers recruited subjects at diagnosis and followed them through (and after) treatment.
To assess coffee consumption, the participants completed a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire.
Study Results – Coffee To Fight Colon Cancer
Here are the study findings after a median follow-up of 6.6 years:
Daily consumption of over four cups of coffee was associated with a one-third (32 percent) reduced risk for colorectal cancer recurrence (compared with those consuming less than two cups daily).
Consuming three to five cups of coffee daily also reduced the risk of dying.
My Take – Coffee To Fight Colon Cancer
While the study does not provide strong evidence — the research is observational — that coffee reduces colorectal cancer risk, the findings make sense.
Coffee is a brew of compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties.
The beverage can also improve liver function, with that organ being a common site of cancer spread (metastasis).
One more bonus: Coffee improves bowel motility.
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