New Study: These 2 Drinks Could Lower Your Risk of Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer is diagnosed in at least 700,000 patients each year. A team of 27 doctors has found a comforting means of prevention.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer type in the world and said to result in around 360,000 deaths each year. The National Institutes of Health has reported that up to 80% of head and neck cancers are linked to tobacco use, meaning the best way to cut your risk of head and neck cancer is to quit smoking and stop using other tobacco products. The Cleveland Clinic notes that limiting your alcohol intake and getting vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV) can also offer significant protection against head and neck cancer.

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However, research released by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in December 2024 found there may be another way to protect yourself. Led by more than two dozen medical doctors, PhDs, and dentists, the study found that drinking coffee and tea could help stave off certain cancers of the mouth, throat, nasal cavity, and sinuses. The researchers say these include:

• Oral cavity cancer: Cancer of the mouth, including the lips, tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, and inner cheeks
• Oropharyngeal cancer: Cancer of the middle part of the throat, which includes the tonsils, soft palate, and the back of the tongue
• Hypopharyngeal cancer: Cancer of the bottom part of the throat, which connects the nasal cavity to the esophagus
• Laryngeal cancer: Cancer of the voice box

Performing a meta-analysis of 14 studies, the team reviewed health and dietary data from 9,548 patients who were diagnosed with head and neck cancer, as well as 15,783 who were not. They grouped the participants based on how much coffee and tea they consumed and measured this against incidence of cancer.

The team determined that those who consumed more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a lower risk of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers compared to non-coffee drinkers. Those who consumed three to four cups of caffeinated coffee experienced lower rates on average of hypopharyngeal cancer, the researchers reported

Similarly, drinking one cup of caffeinated tea appeared to curb the risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. (However, the researchers note that drinking more than one cup was associated with a higher risk of laryngeal cancer.)

The researchers explain that these two globally beloved drinks are beneficial thanks to “bioactive compounds with potential antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects.” In specific, they say, “Coffee contains compounds such as caffeine, polyphenols, trigonelline, chlorogenic acids, cafestol, and kahweol, whereas tea consists of caffeine, polyphenols, catechins, flavanols, lignans, and phenolic acid.”

Previous studies have probed the role of coffee and tea in head and neck cancer risk and prevention, but have produced inconsistent findings. Some have even suggested that drinking hot beverages can increase the risk of head and neck cancers by damaging the lining of the esophagus. This would prompt cells to regenerate more frequently, giving cancer more opportunity to develop.

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However, according to experts at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City, this connection is unlikely. “A long time ago, animal studies suggested that very, very hot beverages could cause this damage. But this was at higher temperatures than people would usually drink liquids,” those researchers have reported. “There has never been solid evidence that drinking hot liquids alone will increase esophageal cancer risk. At this point, we have only the suggestion that it might make the risk higher in people who smoke or consume alcohol.”

If you want to reduce your risk of head and neck cancer, the best thing you can do is to reduce your exposure to established risk factors: tobacco, alcohol, and HPV being the top three. And hey, if your morning pick-me-up cup helps, that’s just one more reason to enjoy it. As the researchers say, just be careful not to overdo it.