Regular coffee drinking can reduce risk of liver cancer: study (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Drinking coffee regularly can reduce the risk of liver cancer by more than one half, according to a study carried out in Japan on more than 90,000 people and published in the United States by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Taking into account anti-cancer properties of caffeine on lab animals, a team of Japanese researchers analyzed a public health report spanning a decade which allowed them to track a large number of patients, many with liver cancer, and their coffee consumption habits.

They found that those who rarely or never drank coffee were hit with the cancer in 547.2 cases per 100,000 people, while those drinking 3-4 cups a day were hit with just 214.6 cases per 100,000.

The report tracked 90,452 Japanese -- 43,109 men and 47,343 women -- aged over 40.

In addition to coffee drinking researchers took into account other factors such as hepatitis virus infection, sex, age, diet, lifestyle factors and previous kidney disease.