BOSTON, May 14 (UPI) -- Drinking large amounts of coffee or soda is not linked to a greater risk of colon cancer, U.S. researchers said.
Study leader Dr. Xuehong Zhang of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found those drinking large amounts of coffee -- more than six 8-ounce cups a day -- were no more likely than those drinking less coffee to develop colon cancer.
Similarly, drinking more than 18 oz. of soft drinks a day did not increase colon cancer risk. However, the study authors noted, only 2 percent drank this amount daily.
"Drinking coffee or sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drinks was not associated with colon cancer risk," the researchers said in a statement. "However, a modest positive association with higher tea consumption is possible and requires further study."
The review, published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, looked at 13 North American and European studies involving 731,441 participants -- of whom 5,604 developed colon cancer.
