Caffeine is the most highly consumed stimulant in the world, with around 80% of the global population enjoying it, in one form or another, on a daily basis. And, contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t just found in tea and coffee. No no no, this natural ingredient has found its way into a whole host of products, including energy bars and drinks, making it hugely popular within the fast-growing sports nutrition trend, and helping it reach a global market value of $715.2m, according to Allied Market Research.
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing for caffeine, with studies linking it to a number of health concerns. One recent study, in particular, found it could be damaging to heart health, and the FDA warned overconsumption could lead to insomnia, jitters, anxiety, an upset stomach, nausea and headaches.
However, new research, published in the American Cancer Society Journals, has found that caffeine consumption could lower the risk of neck and throat cancers.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a natural substance, found in the leaves and fruit of more than 60 plants, most notably, tea and coffee plants. Despite the clear association to tea and coffee, caffeine is actually present in a variety of beverages, including some soft drinks, as well as some foods, including energy bars.
Could caffeine consumption reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancers?
A research team, comprising scientists from across the globe, has analysed data from over a dozen studies on the health impacts of caffeine. The researchers focused specifically on the consumption of caffeine through tea and coffee. They concluded that caffeine reduced the risk of developing a number of cancers, including those of the oral cavity and throat.
The researchers pooled data from 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and an additional 15,783 individuals without cancer. They found that compared with non-coffee-drinkers, individuals who drank more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 17% reduced risk of having head and neck cancer overall, a 30% reduced risk of having cancer of the oral cavity, and a 22% reduced risk of having throat cancer.
Additionally, drinking 3 - 4 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked with a 41% reduced risk of developing hypopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer at the bottom of the throat).
Meanwhile, drinking tea was linked with a 29% reduced risk of hypopharyngeal cancer, a 9% reduced risk of head and neck cancer, and a 27% reduced risk of hypopharyngeal cancer.
While these findings are positive, the research is limited, and further studies would be required to fully determine if they are to be relied upon.
Additionally, the studies analysed were reliant upon the self-reporting of behaviours by study participants and could therefore potentially be open to errors.
However, having said that, caffeine consumption has previously been linked to a whole range of health benefits.
What are the benefits of consuming caffeine?
As a natural ingredient, caffeine offers a variety of health benefits, with studies from Johns Hopkins Medicine in the United States associating it with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
Caffeine also offers potential mental and emotional benefits when enjoyed in the form of a cup of tea or coffee.
“Coffee provides a great ritual, and really brings people together in their daily routines,” says Howey Gill, head of coffee at coffee brand, Grind. “Sitting down in a buzzing café, chatting, with the noise of espresso machines, customers and music - people love this vibe. At home, it provides this amazing ritual for us. Regardless of what’s going on in our lives it provides this little moment of constancy where we take a second to do whatever it is we do to make our cup of coffee. For me that’s pouring a big v60 for me and my partner in the exact same spot in the kitchen.”
Furthermore, many consume caffeine, as it is a natural stimulant, meaning it increases activity in the brain and nervous system. It also increases the circulation of chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body, helping the consumer to stay alert and active.
What does this mean for the food and beverage industry?
While further research is required to fully determine the efficacy of caffeine in reducing the risk of head and neck cancers, any positive news around ingredients, such as caffeine, is good for food and beverage.
And the industry could see consumers upping their tea and coffee consumption to ward of the potential risks. Moreover, if the research were ultimately proven to be correct then we could see a rise in sales of tea and coffee and flurry of new product development, featuring products containing caffeine.
Watch this space.
How much caffeine is it safe to consume each day?
For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day, equivalent to between four and five cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects. However, there is a wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they metabolise it. There are also variations in the strength of the coffee itself.
The FDA has not set a level for children, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages the consumption of caffeine and other stimulants by children and adolescents, and it’s important to include energy drinks, which contain caffeine, in this assessment.
“Energy drinks often have more caffeine than an espresso and a lot of sugar,” said Tamara S. Hannon, a member of the AAP Committee on Nutrition. “Drinking these beverages can cause anxiety, hyperactivity, inattention, sensation-seeking and poor decision-making.”
Source: Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of head and neck cancer: An updated pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium
Published online: 23 December 2024
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35620
Authors: Timothy Nguyen MPH, Alzina Koric PhD, Chun-Pin Esther Chang PhD et al.
