Drinking Coffee or Tea May Protect Your Skin From the Sun

In a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology researchers found that drinking coffee or tea lowers a person's risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer. This protective effect had been documented in the past in mice and the current study found the same results in human skin cells.

The researchers believe that caffeine protects the skin by blocking a specific pathway that leads to cell death in people exposed to UV radiation. It is possible that targeting this pathway may further prevent or reverse damage from UV radiation.

I for one would be thrilled if this research holds up. Imagine drinking your morning cup of coffee knowing that you're protecting your skin from the sun. That's a much easier habit to keep up than putting on sunscreen.