Coffee has shown a protective effect against colon cancer in some studies.  A recent meta-analysis of 17 studies on coffee consumption and colorectal cancer from 1960 to 19990 found the risk of colorectal cancer to be 24% lower among those who drink 4 or more cups of coffee per day, than among those who rarely or never drink coffee.

The most likely explanations for lower risk of colorectal cancer among heavy coffee consumers are the enhanced colonic activity induced by coffee, and the anti-mutageneic components in coffee and caffeine inhibit the cancer-causing effect of various microorganisms.

Clorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with some 131,000 Americans diagnosed with cancers of the rectum and colon on an annual basis.  About 90% of the cancers occur in people over age 50.

This information has been reviewed by Alan Leviton, M.D., an epidemiologist in Boston.