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Dietary natural methylxanthines and colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sara Shojaei-Zarghani1, Ahmad Yari Khosroushahi, Maryam Rafraf

  • 1Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Food & Function
|November 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Natural methylxanthines like caffeine may impact cancer. While animal studies show mixed results, this review found no link between dietary caffeine and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in humans.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Oncology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Natural methylxanthines (MTXs), including caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, are investigated for potential anti-cancer properties.
  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern, prompting research into dietary influences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze studies on dietary MTXs and their association with colorectal cancer (CRC).
  • To evaluate the effects of caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine on CRC development and risk.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of animal and epidemiological studies identified through major scientific databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Knowledge) up to September 2020.
  • Meta-analysis of six epidemiological studies using a random-effects model to determine overall relative risk (RR) and confidence intervals (CI).

Main Results:

  • Animal studies showed detrimental effects of high caffeine doses on CRC initiation/promotion, but beneficial or non-significant effects at lower doses.
  • Meta-analysis of human studies revealed no significant association between dietary caffeine intake and CRC risk (RR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.88-1.10).
  • Subgroup analysis indicated a potential association in studies with moderate bias or lacking smoking adjustment; one study suggested an inverse association between serum MTX levels and CRC risk.

Conclusions:

  • Current epidemiological evidence does not support a link between dietary caffeine intake and colorectal cancer risk.
  • While some animal data suggest potential benefits of caffeine at typical human consumption levels, human data remain inconclusive.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the role of MTXs in CRC, considering factors like dosage, bias, and confounding variables.

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