Coffee knowledge drinking moderate amount of tea and coffee reduces the risk of kidney cancer

Hong Kong Ming Pao reported that a study by Harvard Medical School in the United States found that people who drink tea and coffee regularly have a lower risk of kidney cancer, while drinking milk, soft drinks and fruit juices has no such effect. Researchers said people who drank coffee and a small cup of tea a day had a more than 10 percent lower risk of kidney cancer than those who did not drink. However, some Hong Kong doctors considered that other carcinogenic factors had not been fully considered in the study, and reminded the public that similar studies had suggested that excessive consumption of coffee and tea would also cause cancer.

15% lower risk than nondrinkers

Harvard Medical School in the United States is a comprehensive study of 13 dietary health reports, analysis of the health status of about 530,000 women and 240,000 men, Regular tea and coffee consumption was found to reduce the risk of kidney cancer. Researchers said people who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a 16 percent lower risk of kidney cancer than those who drank less than one cup a day on average. People who drink a small cup of tea (about 230 grams) a day also have a 15% lower risk of kidney cancer than those who do not drink tea.

Although the study cannot prove that tea and coffee directly reduce the risk of kidney cancer, Korean researcher Dr. Cheng Enli pointed out that tea and coffee contain antioxidants that theoretically help kidney cells resist carcinogenic damage.

He added that insulin levels, which control blood sugar, are associated with kidney cancer risk, and the ingredients in these two drinks may increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which over time has the opportunity to prevent kidney cancer. The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer Medicine.

There is also a saying that drinking too much coffee and tea causes cancer

Cai Jian, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said that there was a similar diet two years ago, but there was also a saying that drinking too much coffee and tea would also cause cancer. In addition, caffeine in coffee also has side effects such as stimulating the body, making people nervous and speeding up the heartbeat.

Dr Chow Ka-foon, a nephrologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said it was unheard of to say that drinking coffee and tea could prevent kidney cancer, and no such research had ever been heard of. She pointed out that such studies focus on observation and tend to ignore other carcinogenic factors such as smoking and eating too much meat.

In addition, kidney cancer is only a minority of cancers in Hong Kong. She advised the public to pay more attention to diet and quit smoking to prevent the more common intestinal cancer and lung cancer.