A Brigham Young University researcher found that while it doesn't fit the classic model of a carcinogen one that damages healthy cells in some circumstances, caffeine may protect cancer cells from death.
Cancer is a disease where cell division has gone out of control.
In some cases, the cell does not know how to die. The report is published in the December 1997 issue of Cancer Letters . O'Neill says the study is interesting basic science but that it does not provide enough information to determine whether consuming caffeine poses any health risk. This is just a small piece of work indicating that, under certain conditions, caffeine may suppress apoptosis or the induction of apoptosis in vitro. Virtually every cell in the body is pre-programmed to undergo apoptosis when DNA is damaged, or when the cell is no longer needed.