World Health Organization Says Very Hot Drinks May Cause Cancer

But drops coffee from list of possible carcinogensBy Stacy SimonThe International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified drinking very hot beverages as a probable carcinogen, something that probably causes cancer. IARC is the cancer agency of the World Health Organization. Very hot beverages refer to drinks hotter than 65 degrees Celsius, which translates to about 149 degrees Fahrenheit. In the US, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages are usually drunk at temperatures lower than 149 degrees.The studies that led IARC to classify drinking very hot beverages as a possible carcinogen mostly looked at maté, a type of tea that is traditionally drunk at very hot temperatures, mainly in South America, Asia, and Africa. The studies showed a link between the drink and esophageal cancer, but only when it was served at the traditional, very hot temperature.In the US, major risk factors for esophageal cancer include use of tobacco products and drinking alcohol, especially when combined.Coffee risk is downgradedThe same group of 23 scientists from 10 countries also evaluated available studies about coffee and cancer, and as a result, changed the way it classifies coffee. In 1991, IARC classified coffee as possibly causing cancer because of studies that linked coffee drinking to bladder cancer. Since then, however, new and better studies have become available. IARC now says it is no longer possible to determine whether drinking coffee causes bladder cance...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Cancer Risks/Causes Endometrial Cancer Bladder Cancer Source Type: news