National Cancer Survivor Month: Coffee’s Connection to Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Regular readers here know that drinking coffee is associated with a wide array of health benefits and that the body of robust, independent scientific evidence built up over recent decades continues to grow stronger with each passing year. 

In honor of National Cancer Survivor Month, it’s particularly fitting that we take a deeper look at the research associating coffee with a reduced risk of multiple cancers, as well as with improved health and longevity for cancer survivors.

Among the many major leading health authorities and independent organizations that have highlighted coffee’s unique health benefits is the World Health Organization (WHO). After a thorough review of existing evidence in 2015, WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirmed that drinking coffee is associated with a reduced risk of cancers of the liver and uterine endometrium.

In 2020, the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention, concluding that drinking coffee likely reduces the risk of multiple cancers including liver cancer, endometrial cancer, cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx, as well as basal cell skin cancer and melanoma. 

Meanwhile, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has also confirmed coffee’s association with reduced risk of endometrial and liver cancers. Decaf drinker? You’ll be pleased to hear that AICR says most human studies show a similar reduction in cancer risk when looking at regular and decaf coffee. These are just some of the reasons why IACR recommends coffee as something to “eat regularly.”

These sentiments were echoed by the World Cancer Research Fund which found “strong evidence” that coffee reduces the risk of liver and womb cancers as well as evidence of reduced risk of mouth, pharynx and larynx, and skin cancers. In fact, coffee is the only antioxidant food shown to have a protective effect against melanoma. 

The benefits of drinking coffee don’t stop at reducing the risk of developing cancer – several studies have discovered a link between coffee consumption and improved outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. Research has found that coffee consumption is even associated with higher rates of survival in breast cancer survivors and slower rates of progression and death in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. 

Seeing all this evidence of coffee’s unique health benefits, it may be surprising that researchers still don’t know exactly why we’re seeing these effects. 

Many attribute it to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the approximately 1,000 naturally occurring compounds in coffee beans and hundreds more that develop during the roasting process. 

Coffee researchers have identified the need for more research into disease prevention and even the potential for clinical benefits of coffee for the treatment of cancer and other inflammatory diseases. 

There are plenty of motivations for drinking coffee: the great taste, the mood boost, the great taste, the cognitive benefits, and of course, the great taste (see what we did there?). But it can’t hurt to know that evidence supports adding coffee’s anti-inflammatory properties and health benefits to the long list of reasons to pour another cup. 

Coffee’s Journey through COVID-19: What Changed—and What Didn’t

The COVID-19 pandemic turned everything on its head, from how people understood their health, to work schedules, travel ability, and more.

One routine that has stayed constant, however, was America’s love for coffee. COVID may have changed where and how Americans drink coffee, but never how much. The latest edition of the National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report, released last month and based on surveys conducted in January 2023, illustrates coffee’s continued recovery, renewed growth, and unique staying power as COVID-19 has moved out of its most acute phases.

Unsurprisingly, due to quarantines and shifts to work from home in many industries, the pandemic resulted in a massive increase in drinking coffee at home and a similarly significant decrease in drinking coffee away from home.  

Between January and July 2020, coffee consumption outside of the home fell by almost 20%. While past-day coffee drinking away from home remains below pre-pandemic levels, it has rebounded almost 13% since then, showing a clear path toward recovery.  

Now that COVID restrictions have eased, coffee drinkers are returning to their pre-pandemic routines. 91% of past-week coffee drinkers now buy coffee away from home at least once per week.  

And, as Americans are getting back to work in offices, coffee is getting back to work too. In the most recent polling, 32% of Americans reported having an in-office coffee station, up 6% since mid-pandemic (January 2021).  

Coffee was not completely immune from lasting pandemic impacts, of course. Just like many restaurants continue to use QR-code menus, and office buildings keep refilling hand sanitizer dispensers, some new coffee habits appear to be here to stay.  

The Spring 2021 NCDT report (mid-pandemic), found that 30% of Americans had discovered new coffees they could enjoy at home, and 23% had purchased a new coffee machine for their household. For some coffee drinkers, trying new things meant doing less work at home and leaning into convenience: between January 2020 and January 2021, drive-through usage among coffee drinkers skyrocketed by nearly 30%.  

App usage also jumped significantly during the beginning of the pandemic. From January to July 2020, app usage among past-week coffee drinkers buying coffee outside the home jumped by more than 60%.  

The appeal of options like drive-through, apps, and delivery seems to have staying power. App usage (29% of past-week coffee drinkers) has declined somewhat from its peak in July 2020 (39%) but remains above the 24% observed in January 2020.  

Similarly, drive-through use (currently, 59% of past-day coffee drinkers who bought their coffee outside the home) has declined from pandemic peaks (62%) but remains well above the pre-pandemic rate of 48%.  

In the face of the unprecedented challenges brought on by COVID-19, coffee has proven its remarkable resilience. The coffee experience has transformed — as have many aspects of our daily lives — but coffee seems to have weathered the pressure of the pandemic and come out maintaining its position as America’s favorite beverage. 

Learn more about the NCA’s National Coffee Data Trends.