For some, it's a sound more important than the alarm clock. "Coffee is just something people get addicted to," David Wallace, a chef at Downtown Coffee Lounge in Tyler, said.
Long-term that addiction may help you fight skin cancer. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, drinking 3 cups of coffee a day can lower your risk of basal cell carcinoma by up to 20 percent. That's a win-win for Downtown Coffee Lounge.
"It's good for us, and now according to those reports, it may be a good thing for them too," Wallace said.
He says for the most caffeine, to get plenty of espresso. "We have a lot of them that are purists that will come in drink their coffee, just shots of espresso and I mean that is really potent coffee," Wallace said.
Jenni Holman, a dermatologist, says the findings come as the number of patients being diagnosed with skin cancer, is climbing. "We see basal cell and squamous cell in younger folks these days because of tanning bed use, but certainly as people live longer they're going to outlive their skin to some degree," Holman said.
She says since the link between the two is still unclear, to take other precautions as well. "When you're out on the lake or by the pool, a good hat and sunscreen are essential. And be sure to reapply every 3 hours regardless of the number on the bottle," Holman said.
You're probably going to cancel out some of those health benefits if you load up your cup of coffee with cream and sugar, but the good outweighs the bad.
"There are some benefits in cardiovascular health and as well as in increased exercise endurance. It's one of those things that they're constantly studying because its so prevalent," Holman said.
Wallace hopes that continues, but he isn't holding his breath. "I think everybody takes it with a grain of salt," Wallace said.
Or a packet of sugar, whichever way you like it.
