Studies Illuminate Caffeine's Connection to Cancer

Caffeine's best-known role, especially for early morning java drinkers, is as a stimulant. But two reports published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences illustrate how the molecule may meddle in cell mutations that could lead to cancer. The good news is that topical application of caffeine inhibits the formation of skin tumors in mice. The bad news is that the molecule represses the repair of genetic mutations caused by low levels of radiation.

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