New scientific research indicates a reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers. In writing about healthy organic coffee we often emphasize the lack of contaminants in organic coffee versus regular coffee. It is known that antioxidants play a role in reducing the risk of type II diabetes and cancer. However, in the case of reduced skin cancer risk it may simply be the caffeine in coffee that does the job. Researchers at Harvard University announced that a twenty plus year named the Nurses’ Health Study shows that high caffeinated coffee intake versus low intake is associated with a reduced risk of basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma is a localized skin cancer that comprises eight out of ten skin cancers. According to the study those who consumed higher amounts of caffeinated coffee, tea, or cola as well as those who consumed higher amounts of chocolate had a nearly twenty percent lower risk of getting basal cell carcinoma than those who consumed lower amounts. The reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers was clearest when comparing the top twenty percent by consumption with the lowest twenty percent by consumption.

The evidence of reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers is important as currently there are roughly 800,000 new cases in the USA yearly and about 30% of all Caucasians will eventually have a basal cell carcinoma. A twenty percent reduction in the incidence of this disease is significant. Reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers is not the only finding of several long term studies. More organic coffee can lead to less diabetes , for example. The antioxidants in coffee appear to increase levels of a body hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin. Increased amounts of this hormone significantly reduce the incidence of Type II diabetes, which affects 95% of all diabetics. With long term consumption of at least four cups of coffee a day women can reduce their chance of getting Type II diabetes by more than half. Considering that roughly 22 million Americans have Type II diabetes the potential is to reduce the number of cases by over ten million.

In the case of reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers, organic coffee and organic coffee antioxidants hold no advantage over regular coffee. However, organic coffee does hold an advantage of regular coffee in purity. As many as 150 contaminants have been found in regular coffee. The sustainable growing practices used to grow regular coffee prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. In addition certified organic coffee has been picked, processed, stored, shipped, and roasted separate from any regular coffee contamination. With organic coffee you get reduced skin cancer risk in coffee drinkers and you get a healthier environment as well. Shade grown organic coffee preserves habitat. Sustainable farming preserves topsoil and watersheds. Buying organic coffee helps support small family owned coffee farms which would otherwise be unable to compete against large, regular coffee, operation. When you consider drinking coffee for its many health benefits add organic coffee to your list of requirements for a good cup of coffee.