According to a new study, having four or more cups of coffee a day could help fight bowel cancer. It was found in the study that the patients who were drinking at least four cups of caffeinated coffee a day had 42% less chances of having a tumor recurrence than those who were not involved in consumption.

The study was conducted on 950 treated patients. According to the study, there were 33% less chances of dying from cancer or any other reason. Those who consumed two to three cups of coffee every day were having modest benefit and with one cup or less, there was even less protection.

The study has been conducted by scientists at the Gastrointestinal Cancer Centre at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the US. It has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

According to Dr. Charles Fuchs, an author of the study from Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, all caffeinated beverages do not provide the same benefits. As per Fuchs, "People who consumed two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day have a poorer outcome. The bottom line is that there are patients for whom the cancer recurs despite our best efforts and we wanted to see what diet and lifestyle could modify that risk”.

According to the council's nutrition adviser, Clare Hughes, people who are receiving or recovering from cancer treatment should consult an oncology dietitian to speak to their specialist regarding their specific case for determining the best diet.