A number of studies have been done in recent years focused on finding out whether a link exists between colorectal cancer and the amount of coffee, tea or soft drinks you consume.

Part of the question has been put to rest - at least for the time being. The news is good for coffee and tea drinkers, and uncertain for those who love sugary sodas.

Dr. Xuehong Zhang and other researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health examined more than a dozen studies from North America and Europe.

Researchers investigated results from more than 700,000 people scattered across the globe, and subjects were followed for anywhere between six and twenty years. 5,600 eventually developed colon cancer. Researchers reported that factors related to average amount of alcohol consumed, use of tobacco products and gender had negligible impact on the results.

The results of the research, reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, seem to indicate that individuals who drink coffee daily - even four or more cups - have no higher chance of developing colon cancer than those who don't drink coffee at all.

Those who drink a lot of tea - 32 ounces a day or more - also got good news, although it wasn't quite as good as the news for coffee drinkers. Their risk of getting colon cancer was slightly higher.

Conclusions were harder to draw where sugary sodas were concerned.

Those who consume a lot of sugary sodas are more likely to be overweight. Obesity has been known to contribute to a whole range of related conditions and diseases. It's a practical impossibility to separate colon cancer from these.

Researchers noted that getting pure data was difficult in this study due to the enormous size and scope of individuals being investigated. Choices and volumes of beverages ran the gamut.

Research that had been done previously on any connection between certain popular drinks and colon cancer produced uncertain findings.

According to the American Cancer Society, around 100,000 people are found to have colon cancer each year in the U.S. alone. About half that number of new rectal cancer cases are diagnosed. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, accounting for approximately 50,000 deaths every year.

Happily, death rates have been dropping in recent years. There are several possibilities that account for this reduction.

One reason may be that polyps (pre-cancerous formations in the colon) - are being detected in screening programs, which have become more numerous.

As screening facilities and public awareness has grown, more and more cases are being discovered in the early stages, when the chances of successful treatment is greater.

In addition, there has been much more media attention given to the dangers of colorectal cancer lately. For years, colorectal cancer was known as "the disease no one talked about." That has changed.

Finally, research has led to great strides in treatment over the past few decades. As a result, there are now more than 1 million survivors of colorectal cancer in the United States.

Doctors say we should all be more aware of colon health as we grow older. Regular colon cancer detection tests - like a colonoscopy - are recommended for everyone over age 50.

Meanwhile, don't worry about enjoying all the coffee and tea you want. The research says you can do so without fear of raising your risk of getting colon cancer.