Drinking coffee could reduce your chance of developing liver tumour by 50%


A cup of coffee in the morning could have greater benefits than just helping tired workers wake up.

Coffee drinkers have half the risk of the most common type of liver cancer, a study has found.

The coffee bean contains polyphenols that may stop cancer cells dividing.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast looked at almost half a million people, of whom more than three- quarters drank coffee. They were 50 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, which makes up nine out of ten cases of liver cancer. 

Dr. Una McMenamin, of Queen’s, said: “Our findings are reassuring in suggesting coffee may have health benefits.”

Lead author Kim Tu Tran said: “People with a coffee-drinking habit could find keeping that habit going is good for their health.

“That is because coffee contains antioxidants and caffeine, which may protect against cancer.

“However drinking coffee is not as protective against liver cancer as stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol or losing weight.”

The study, presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference in Glasgow, found older, university-educated people, those who drank alcohol and men in particular were most likely to drink coffee.

Also read: Poor oral hygiene can lead to delivering of premature babies — Dentist

Researchers tracked 365,157 coffee-drinkers, and more than 100,000 people who did not drink coffee, over seven and a half years using national cancer records.

In that time 88 people were diagnosed with the most common form of liver cancer, which is rising in England.

The risk was 50 per cent lower for coffee-drinkers compared with those who drank no coffee. 

That was the case when alcohol, smoking and obesity were factored in. The risk fell 13 per cent for every cup someone drank daily. 

Most coffee drinkers in Britain use instant, which some experts suspected may carry a higher risk of cancer. Evidence suggests it has higher levels of acrylamide – a cancer-causing chemical made when beans are roasted.

But the study, which looked at instant, ground and decaf coffee, found the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was just as low in people who mostly drank instant coffee. 

Also read: Dell to let Apple users to control iPhones from their laptop

Jars of coffee are thought to contain more cancer-fighting compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, which may prevent harmful inflammation in the body.

The World Cancer Research Fund has also concluded that it is ‘probable’ coffee reduces the risk of liver cancer.

But the latest study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, did not find an overall link between coffee and other digestive cancers, despite looking at types including bowel and stomach cancer.

A separate study, involving the same team, found people who took statins had a 36 per cent reduced chance of being diagnosed with liver cancer.

Experts believe statins, taken by millions of people in Britain to lower their cholesterol, may reduce the number of abnormal cells which can develop into tumours. (The Guardian)

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Nigeria to host chess tournament

The Nigeria Chess Federation will be the host of the African Individual Chess Championship in Lagos for 2020.

This is the second time that the country will be hosting the chess championship with the first hosted in Abuja in 2003.

According to a statement released on the website of the Nigeria Chess Players’ Association, the chess world governing body has given the country the right to host the next edition of the championship.

“According to the FIDE Calendar, Nigeria will be hosting the African Individual Chess Championship in Lagos come May 2020; during dates that will conflict with our annual CPAN Chevron Chess Challenge; and as such unfortunately, C4 will most likely not be holding this year,” the website reads.

Also read: Poor oral hygiene can lead to delivering of premature babies — Dentist

“However, we envisage that the excitement from the AICC will make up for missing out on this, in addition to the other tournaments that our affiliated organisers will be hosting in the course of the year, which we will also feature on our calendar.”

The last edition of the championship was held in the city of Hammamet, Tunisia last year with Ahmed Adly of Egypt emerging winner in the male’s category while Shrook Wafa also of Egypt was the winner in the female’s category.(Punch)

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Dell to let Apple users control iPhones from their laptop

Dell Technologies is trying to make its laptops more attractive to iPhone users. The Texas-based computer maker said on Thursday it is releasing software that will let users mirror their iPhone’s screen on Dell laptops.

The feature will roll out in coming months as an update to Dell’s Mobile Connect software, which added similar functionality for Android handsets in 2018. The update, will also let Dell users drag photos, videos and other files from their iPhone to their PC.

The software requires the download of an iPhone app and works with Dell XPS, Inspiron, Vostro and Alienware laptops running Windows 10.

Also read: Best and worst diet for 2020, ranked by experts, with one near last

People using Mobile Connect with an iPhone were previously able to get notifications and send texts.

Dell said more than 150 million calls and texts have been sent via the software, with half of those happening via Apple devices. Dell, the third largest PC maker, sees the software as a way to get more people to buy its products.

Apple has offered deep integration between its Mac computers and iPhones for years, including easy file transfers, messaging and calls, but does not offer a screen mirroring feature. (Vanguard)

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Drake delights Top Boy fans as he confirms the Netflix series will return in 2020

Drake has delighted Top Boy fans by confirming the fourth season of the crime drama will return to Netflix in 2020.

The Grammy-winning musician, 33, revived the show on the streaming service last year, six years after it was dropped by Channel 4, and it became one of the most popular releases of 2019.

The Take Care hitmaker revealed plans for season four are underway via Instagram when a UK grime site posted a snap of lead characters Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) and questioned whether Top Boy would return in 2020.

Alongside a screengrab of an article naming the show among Netflix’s ‘most popular series releases of 2019, GRM Daily posted: ‘Will we see a new series in 2020?’

Drake, an executive producer on the show, simply wrote: ‘Of course.’

The two-word response which confirmed the series’ much-anticipated return delighted fans.

One wrote: ‘Love to see it.’

Another added: ‘Thanks for bringing this project back!’, while a third gushed: ‘You can have lifetime access to free drill beats from now on.. shout me.’

Drake previously revealed he was inspired to work on the series after stumbling across the show in 2017.

The chart-topping artist told the Hollywood Reporter at the time: ‘That human element drew me in.(Vanguard)

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Poor oral hygiene can lead to delivering of premature babies – Dentist

Dr Albert Akhidenor, a dentist says it is proven that poor hygiene of pregnant mothers can lead to delivering of premature babies and to low weight baby.

Akhidenor, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Community Oral Health Initiative, an NGO, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that mothers with poor hygiene could easily transfer diseases to their babies through kisses. According to him, oral health of mothers will directly improve the health of their new born babies.

In addition, Akhidenor said poor nutrition could also cause poor oral hygiene.

For the teeth to develop very well, you need balance diet. “Diet filled with refined sugar and sweet is not healthy for the teeth. With poor diet, the whole formation of teeth is affected,’’ he said.

Akhidenor, however, expressed optimism that the 2020 National Oral Health Policy, formulated by the Federal Ministry of Health would address the burden of oral diseases in the country.

Also read: Best and worst diets for 2020, ranked by experts, with a popular one near last

“An oral health policy helps to harness political, economic and socio-cultural factors at the individual, family, community, national and international levels.’’ He said that the policy would address poor access to oral care service if well implemented.

“By 2025, at least 50 per cent of the population should be able to have access to oral care.

“We are looking at situation where all the Primary Health Care Centres in the country will have a dentist by that time. “We are looking at all women having anti-natal clinic, have access to oral care information.

“We are also looking at the situation where oral health education is included in science curriculum in schools so that children can be educated,’’ NAN reports that the 2020 National Oral Health Policy, which was validated by stakeholders on Dec. 17, 2019, will be ready before the next National Council on Health in June.(Vanguard)

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