Caffeine and Exercise May Reduce Skin Cancer

An intriguing mouse experiment has shown that the combination of moderate caffeine with consistent exercise increases the ability of the mouse to kill UVB light-induced skin cancer cells by 376%. Caffeine alone produced a 96% improvement and exercise alone produced a 120% improvement. The unique finding in this study is the dramatic improvement based on the combination of moderate caffeine and exercise. This was also consistent with an improved body fat profile.

There is no question that caffeine and exercise both turn on gene switches that regulate cellular function, detoxification capacity, and immune defenses. This mouse study warrants further human studies since over 1 million people per year develop skin cancer. In the meantime, this is more evidence that moderate (not excess) caffeine intake provides health benefits especially when combined with consistent exercise.