Less than two weeks ago, I posted an article about how coffee could play a hand in preventing type 2 diabetes. However, I failed to mention an interesting finding that was published this past summer.
Back in May, 23 scientists from ten countries gathered at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, to assess the carcinogenicity of coffee, mate, and very hot beverages.
In case you didn’t know, coffee was deemed to be “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in 1991. Shocking, isn’t it?
According to Christopher Wild, director of the IARC, “smoking and alcohol drinking are major causes of oesophageal cancer. However, the majority of oesophageal cancers occur in parts of Asia, South America, and East Africa, where regularly drinking very hot beverages is common and where the reasons for the high incidence of this cancer are not as well understood.”
Following a series of discussion, Dr. Wild shared the results of the meeting by saying that the consumption of very hot beverages is “one probable cause of oesophageal cancer and that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible.”
Here are some of the highlights of their evaluation:
- There is “no conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic effect of drinking coffee.” (Group 3 – Inadequate Evidence)
- “Drinking very hot beverages probably causes cancer of the esophagus in humans.” (Group 2A – Limited Evidence)
Very hot beverages are defined as drinks that are above 65°C (149°F). - “No conclusive evidence was found for drinking mate at temperatures that are not very hot.” (Group 3 – Inadequate Evidence)
Thankfully, the temperature of hot beverages drunk in the US is less than 149°F.
Moral of the story: Enjoy your cup of Java, but don’t burn your tongue.
