Post by Willow on Jun 16, 2016 8:44:32 GMT 9.5
World Health Organisation: coffee in the clear as cancer cause
Woo Hoo!
Coffee drinkers are set to get some good news.
Twenty-five years after classifying coffee as a possible carcinogen leading to bladder cancer, the World Health Organisation’s cancer research arm has reversed course, and this week it is expected to say that coffee isn’t classifiable as a danger.
The organisation is also expected to say coffee has no carcinogenic effects related to other cancers, including those of the pancreas and prostate, and has even been seen to reduce the risk of liver and uterine cancers.
The agency is finally joining other big research organisations in those findings.
Numerous studies in recent years have shown no conclusive link between cancer and coffee and have actually shown protective benefits in some cancers.
The WHO about-face came after its International Agency for Research on Cancer reviewed more than 1000 studies that showed coffee is not a cancer culprit, according to details shared with The Wall Street Journal. WHO and IARC representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.
A group of 23 scientists convened by the IARC concluded “that there was inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of coffee drinking overall”.
The scientists found that many epidemiological studies showed that coffee drinking had no carcinogenic effects for cancers of the pancreas, female breast and prostate, and that “reduced risks were seen for cancers of the liver and uterine endometrium. For more than 20 other cancers, the evidence was inconclusive.”
Americans, on average, drink three cups of coffee a day and spent $US74.2 billion ($100.7bn) last year to get their fix, according to the National Coffee Association. Coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the US, surpassing even tap water, the trade group says. And it is increasingly being brewed around the world, beyond the traditional markets of the US and Europe.
Global coffee consumption has grown at an average rate of 2.5 per cent a year since 2011. More than 150 million 60kg bags of coffee were consumed globally in 2014, according to the International Coffee Organisation.
However, the IARC said drinking very hot beverages was now classified as “probably carcinogenic”. It did not define what “very hot” was and based its findings on what it described as limited evidence from epidemiological studies that showed positive associations between cancer of the oesophagus and drinking very hot beverages.
The studies focused on places such as China and South America where tea or mate is often consumed at about 70C.
The National Coffee Association said coffee brewers should maintain a water temperature of 90C to 96C for optimal extraction of the coffee and that it should reach a “comfortable temperature” before drinking.
The American Institute for Cancer Research lists coffee as a cancer-fighting beverage due to the variety of phytochemicals, or plant-based biologically active compounds, it contains.
“Coffee’s possible link to cancer is a well studied one, with more than 1000 studies on the topic,” it said on its website.
“Early in the research, some studies hinted that coffee might increase cancer risk. Larger and more well-designed studies now suggest the opposite: it may be protective for some cancers.”
A study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute published last year found that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee may help prevent the return of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure.
Woo Hoo!
Coffee drinkers are set to get some good news.
Twenty-five years after classifying coffee as a possible carcinogen leading to bladder cancer, the World Health Organisation’s cancer research arm has reversed course, and this week it is expected to say that coffee isn’t classifiable as a danger.
The organisation is also expected to say coffee has no carcinogenic effects related to other cancers, including those of the pancreas and prostate, and has even been seen to reduce the risk of liver and uterine cancers.
The agency is finally joining other big research organisations in those findings.
Numerous studies in recent years have shown no conclusive link between cancer and coffee and have actually shown protective benefits in some cancers.
The WHO about-face came after its International Agency for Research on Cancer reviewed more than 1000 studies that showed coffee is not a cancer culprit, according to details shared with The Wall Street Journal. WHO and IARC representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.
A group of 23 scientists convened by the IARC concluded “that there was inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of coffee drinking overall”.
The scientists found that many epidemiological studies showed that coffee drinking had no carcinogenic effects for cancers of the pancreas, female breast and prostate, and that “reduced risks were seen for cancers of the liver and uterine endometrium. For more than 20 other cancers, the evidence was inconclusive.”
Americans, on average, drink three cups of coffee a day and spent $US74.2 billion ($100.7bn) last year to get their fix, according to the National Coffee Association. Coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the US, surpassing even tap water, the trade group says. And it is increasingly being brewed around the world, beyond the traditional markets of the US and Europe.
Global coffee consumption has grown at an average rate of 2.5 per cent a year since 2011. More than 150 million 60kg bags of coffee were consumed globally in 2014, according to the International Coffee Organisation.
However, the IARC said drinking very hot beverages was now classified as “probably carcinogenic”. It did not define what “very hot” was and based its findings on what it described as limited evidence from epidemiological studies that showed positive associations between cancer of the oesophagus and drinking very hot beverages.
The studies focused on places such as China and South America where tea or mate is often consumed at about 70C.
The National Coffee Association said coffee brewers should maintain a water temperature of 90C to 96C for optimal extraction of the coffee and that it should reach a “comfortable temperature” before drinking.
The American Institute for Cancer Research lists coffee as a cancer-fighting beverage due to the variety of phytochemicals, or plant-based biologically active compounds, it contains.
“Coffee’s possible link to cancer is a well studied one, with more than 1000 studies on the topic,” it said on its website.
“Early in the research, some studies hinted that coffee might increase cancer risk. Larger and more well-designed studies now suggest the opposite: it may be protective for some cancers.”
A study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute published last year found that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee may help prevent the return of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure.