Health briefs: The joys of java

Another potential benefit of coffee: It may reduce the risk of head and neck cancers. In a recent international analysis that pooled data from nine previous studies on neck and head cancers, regular drinkers of caffeinated coffee had a lower risk of cancers of the mouth and pharynx (part of the throat behind the mouth); there was no effect on cancer of the larynx ("voice box"). Data on decaf were too sparse to draw conclusions; tea had no effect on any of these cancers.

Hear this: Eat fish!

To reduce the risk of age-related hearing loss, eat fish, especially fish rich in omega-3 fats, according to new findings from the Blue Mountains Hearing Study. People over age 50 who reported eating at least two servings of fish a week had a 42 percent lower risk of developing hearing loss over five years, compared to those who rarely ate fish. And the higher the omega-3 intake, the lower the risk.

- The University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter, September 2010