It’s no substitute for sunscreen, but a daily cup of java may help you avoid skin cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Exposure to ultraviolet light is one of the most important factors in causing cancers. The rays cause DNA damage to skin cells, which then mutate and become cancerous.
However, according to the study’s authors, when damaged by UV light, cells can initiate a kind of cell suicide program, which keeps them from becoming cancerous. Adding caffeine seems to stimulate more cells into triggering this suicide sequence (called apoptosis). While only about 1 out every 500 cells will undergo apoptosis when exposed to UV, about 1 out of every 200 commit suicide when caffeine enters the picture.
The finding could be used to develop a topical application of caffeine that could be targeted to at-risk skin cells.