More Studies Needed to Prove Coffee Cuts Risk of Mouth and Throat Cancer: Dentist

Heavy coffee drinkers may reduce risk of dying from mouth and throat cancer by half, but one dentist has cast doubt over the alleged benefit reveals a recent study from the American Cancer Society.

"I do not recommend that my patients drink coffee," said Martin Hogan, DDS, Loyola University Health System.

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Caffeine sensitivity decides if coffee is good or bad for you. However drinking coffee preferably without caffeine may be good for your health.

"The study does suggest benefits but I would like to see more studies done to prove this correlation," he asserted.

Coffee, along with tea and red wine, is a top cause of damage to tooth enamel.

"As with any study, there are always variables that are not documented, such as alcohol consumption and tobacco use which are top causes of oral cancer," said the dentist who regularly assists in the diagnosis of oral cancer and works with oncological patients at Loyola.

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Coffee is a great beverage prepared from the seeds of Coffea plant. Different types of coffee include espresso, cappuccino, Café latte, frappe, iced coffee.

According to Hogan, risks for oral/pharyngeal cancers include alcohol consumption, smoking, chewing tobacco, biological factors such as fungi, viruses such as HPV (especially strain 16 for oral cancers) and physical factors including exposure to UV radiation and exposure to x-rays.

Many patients dismiss the early signs of oral cancer and do not report symptoms until the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

"Oral cancer signs range from chronic sores in the mouth that do not heal to difficulty swallowing and many patients do not think they are a big enough deal to seek medical attention," said Hogan.

He noted that the growing trend of sugary drinks also is taking a toll on oral health.

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"Sports drinks and soda are also big offenders of dental disease and actually are less damaging if they are consumed at one sitting as opposed to continuously sipping on the drinks over the course of an afternoon," he said.

"Sipping prolongs the exposure of the teeth to the sugary and/or acidic liquids and increases the damage to the teeth," he explained.

Source-ANI