Want To Lower Your Cancer Risk? These 2 Beverages Can Help

Reported by MindBodyGreen.

Your morning ritual might be doing more than you think. A large-scale study published in The Journal of Nutrition tracked nearly 189,000 participants from the UK Biobank — one of the most comprehensive ongoing health studies in the world — for an average of nine years, monitoring who developed cancer and who died from it. The finding that stood out: people who drank more than two cups of unsweetened coffee daily had a 5% lower risk of developing cancer and an 11% lower risk of dying from it. Those who drank two or more cups of unsweetened tea — black or green — had a 6% lower cancer incidence and a striking 16% lower mortality risk, according to MindBodyGreen.

The operative word is unsweetened. Participants were only counted in these categories if they reported never adding sugar or artificial sweeteners. Both coffee and tea are dense with protective phytonutrients — coffee delivers chlorogenic, ferulic, coumaric, and caffeic acids; tea contributes catechins, flavonoids, and L-theanine. These compounds actively work to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, two of the core biological drivers of cancer development. Sugar, particularly in liquid form, counteracts all of it. Drinking sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream faster than eating it and triggers an inflammatory response — and a recent meta-analysis reinforced that liquid sugar carries outsized long-term health risks compared to solid sources.

Making the Unsweetened Version Actually Work

If black coffee or plain tea sounds like a punishment, there are legitimate upgrades. For coffee: start with high-quality, 100% organic arabica beans — they have a naturally brighter, less bitter profile than robusta blends and a higher polyphenol diversity. A pinch of cinnamon adds warmth and the perception of sweetness without any actual sugar. Collagen powder (the kind with zero added sweeteners) blends in smoothly and adds a creamy texture that changes the whole experience. For tea: a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime, or orange cuts bitterness instantly. Cold-brewing overnight with fresh mint, rosemary, or berries infuses real flavor — no sweetener required.

As for everything else in your cup: the same study found sugary drinks, including flavored milks and sodas, were associated with higher cancer risk — particularly for lung cancers. Pure 100% fruit juice showed some protective antioxidant effects, likely from vitamin C and plant compounds, but the study authors were clear that the concentrated sugar load is still a concern and whole fruit is the better call whenever possible.

The research keeps stacking up in the same direction: what you don't add to your coffee or tea matters just as much as drinking it in the first place.

Read the original at MindBodyGreen.