Three coffees a day protect against cancer and dementia

DRINKING three cups of coffee a day can protect against a host of diseases including cancer, research reveals.

New analysis of more than 200 global studies suggests the beverage lowers the risk of a number of conditions from dementia to heart disease.

It is also effective in warding off Type 2 diabetes, depression, cirrhosis of the liver, gallstones, gout and Parkinson’s disease, according to experts’ findings.

The research, led by Dr Robin Poole of the University of Southampton, echoed previous studies which have hailed coffee as a cureall and a “wonderful medicine”.

Dr Poole said his team’s findings indicated that regular coffee intake was “more likely to benefit health than harm”.

The biggest health benefits were seen in people who drank three cups a day.

Consuming more was not associated with harm, but the good effects were less pronounced.

There was less evidence for the effects of drinking decaffeinated coffee, though it is also thought to have disease-battling benefits.

Dr Poole and his colleagues worked with another team from the University of Edinburgh to look at a total of 217 studies which had produced data in different ways. The greatest single protection was seen against liver conditions, such as cirrhosis.

Coffee was also associated with a lower risk of several cancers, including prostate, endometrial, skin and liver.

It is one of the world’s most commonly consumed drinks with an estimated 2.25 billion cups supped worldwide each day.

It contains several compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other properties.

The world’s largest study into coffee and its impact on health, published earlier this year, also suggested that those who drank it regularly were likely to live longer than non-users.