Drinking very hot drinks – above normal drinking temperature – probably does though, it has concluded.
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In 1991, the IARC classified coffee as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
IARC director Christopher Wild said: “These results suggest that drinking 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”.
But this group of 23 scientists reviewed more than 1,000 studies about coffee and its effect on humans and animals (including plenty of new research since then), and found there wasn’t really evidence to suggest coffee itself increases the risk of cancer.
In many of these studies, the researchers did not find evidence that drinking coffee can cause cancers of the female breast, pancreas and prostate.
The previous study or research published on the subject found that coffee drinkers have no reason to worry. Besides, most people in the United Kingdom drink tea with milk, which lowers the temperature of the drink to a safe level.
The 2A classification for very hot drinks (defined as more than 65˚C) was based on findings from epidemiology studies based in places where tea or mate tends to be drunk at very hot temperatures such as South America, China and Iran.
The report said a high rate of oesophageal cancers occur in parts of Asia, South America, and East Africa, where regularly drinking very hot beverages is common. However, the report also shows a positive association between drinking beverages that are too hot with esophageal cancer.
“The proportion of oesophageal cancer cases that may be linked to drinking very hot beverages is not known”, said the press release. These drinks, including the maté, are commonly drunk at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius (158F) in their specific regions.
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“The report issued by an worldwide group of 23 scientists convened by the World Health Organization found no conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic effect of drinking coffee, or mate”, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.
