Coffee fights womb cancer

FOUR cups of coffee a day could help fight womb cancer.

Regular consumption has been linked to a lower risk of endometrial cancer, the most common form of the disease, according to research.

Women who drank at least four cups a day over several years were 25 per cent less likely to contract the disease than those who drank less than one cup a day.

The 26-year study of 70,000 women found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties helped to curb the disease, although tea had no effect.

Drinking coffee on a regular basis may help lower levels of hormones believed to encourage the cancer, according to the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention journal.

Endometrial cancer affects 6,400 British women a year in the UK, resulting in an estimated 1,000 deaths annually.

Risk increases with age, weight and having a mother who had the disease.

The US researchers said: “Increasing exercise and maintaining normal body weight are probably the most important ways to prevent endometrial cancer.

“However, additional strategies are needed and dietary habits such as coffee drinking could provide one option.” They warned that adding cream and sugar may cancel out the effects, as may smoking.