Coffee 'cuts risk of oral cancer'

Melbourne, June 22 : Drinking four cups of coffee on a daily basis protects against mouth cancer, a new study has shown.

The reason is down to more 1000 chemicals in coffee, including anti-oxidants, reports the Courier Mail.

For the study, scientists in the US used data gleaned from nine studies comparing the coffee habits of about 5000 cancer patients and more than 9000 healthy people.

They found regular coffee drinkers were 39 per cent less likely to develop mouth and pharynx cancers than people who drank no coffee.

The incidence of oral cancer - mostly caused by smoking and alcohol - is rising in young and middle aged men.

Early symptoms include ulcers that fail to heal, difficulty swallowing or chewing and persistent pain.