A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

Because, it seems that there is nothing that coffee can't do:

A cup of joe a day may help keep skin cancer away: A new study shows that caffeine helps kill off human cells damaged by ultraviolet light, one of the key triggers of several types of skin cancer.

The finding, detailed in Feb. 26 online issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could one day lead to the development of caffeine creams or ointments to help reverse the effects of UV damage in humans and prevent some skin cancers.

Nonmelanoma skin cancers, which rarely metastasize or cause death, are the most common form of cancer in humans, with more than 1 million new cases occurring each year in the United States alone. (Melanoma is, however, one of the deadlier cancers.)

Exposure to ultraviolet light is one of the most important factors in causing nonmelanoma cancers. The rays cause DNA damage to skin cells, which then mutate or become cancerous.

Several studies have shown that people who regularly drink coffee or tea seem to have lower incidences of nonmelanoma skin cancers. One recent study of more than 90,000 Caucasian women found that with each additional cup of caffeinated coffee consumed, there was an associated 5 percent decreased risk of developing one of these skin cancers (decaf coffee had no effect).

The physicians who conducted the study tell us that there is no need whatsoever for us to change our drinking habits in order to fight off skin cancer. Balderdash, I say! I'm going to guzzle coffee and tea now; I pretty much do anyway.

As of the writing of this blog post, there is nothing over at Jacob Levy's blog concerning this exceedingly important finding. This despite the fact that Levy is famed for his coffeephilia. Poseur.