Drinking coffee and tea appears to be associated with a lower risk of cancer head and neckincluding its cancers mouth and his larynxas recent data analysis finds.

Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide, and rates are increasing in low- and middle-income countries.

The research, published in the American Cancer Society’s journal Cancer, examined data from 14 studies by different scientists affiliated with the International Consortium on Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology.

The researchers collected information on 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 people without cancer. All participants had completed questionnaires regarding previous consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee and tea.

It was found that compared to those who did not drink coffeeparticipants who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily had 17% lower odds have head and neck cancer overall, 30% lower chances to have oral cavity cancer and a 22% lower chance of having throat cancer. Also, drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 41 percent lower risk of developing hypopharyngeal cancer, a type of cancer in the lower part of the throat.

Drinking decaffeinated coffee was associated with 25% lower chances occurrence of oral cavity cancer. Drinking a cup of tea or less daily was associated with 9% lower risk head and neck cancer and 27% lower risk hypopharyngeal cancer. In contrast, drinking more than one cup was associated with 38% higher chances cancer of the larynx.

The researchers note that since coffee and tea habits are quite complex, these findings highlight the need for more data and further studies around the impact that coffee and tea can have on reducing cancer risk.