Can coffee cause cancer? Do benefits outweight the risks?
By Robin
@Daelii (5619)
United States
March 30, 2018 1:09pm CST
Ive heard about the risk of cancer in the use of plastic pods individual coffee systems... But I really didn't know that the coffee production itself makes a chemical that has been linked to cancer. Did you?
Some places already display warning signs. Have you seen one? I dont recall ever seeing it at Starbucks or a gas station. Admittedly I dont frequent Starbucks....so It has been ages since I've been there.
Does the possibility of cancer mater to you? For me, I'm gonna do some more research on it... It just seems so crazy overall.
Just yesterday I spoke with a neighbor before they left for a funeral. Their coworker died from cancer and we got on the topic if cancer. Growing up it was a rare thing to hear about. They are much older and said it was super rare and now so many have it. They say its from the processed foods and chemicals. I have to agree...so does this mean coffee is part of the problem too?
A Los Angeles judge ruled that California law requires coffee companies to carry an ominous cancer warning label because of a chemical produced in the roasting
7 people like this
9 responses
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
30 Mar 18
The cancer-causing agent is in the processing and has nothing to do with K-cups, it is in Starbucks Coffee among others that you get fresh in their shops. So I am not going to stop drinking it any time soon.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
30 Mar 18
@Daelii I am wondering if coffee from say Europe doesn't have it, their regulations are much stricter.
2 people like this
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
30 Mar 18
Yes, its like in ~ 80 coffee brands coffee from the processing part.
I'm a little confused though in looking it up. Is it ALL coffee? One place mentioned it might be possible to remove it but companies don't want to deal with the extra related work. So does that mean there might be a special coffee company that does remove it??
2 people like this
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
30 Mar 18
@BelleStarr Good point! A lot of other countries have safer foods than those in the USA.
This article
says "They found instant coffee to have 100% more acrylamide than fresh roasted coffee, while coffee substitutes had 300% more (22)."
It also says light roasts have less than dark roasts (which is heated longer and thus makes more of the harmful chemical).
So I might just switch to a light roast and keep looking into this, to see if maybe I can find a brand that does remove it. This particular article says it can't be removed from the coffee, but another article (a few) says it can be removed. Soooo....????
Acrylamide is a chemical that is found in most types of coffee. Concerns have been raised about acrylamide causing harm to coffee drinkers.
2 people like this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
30 Mar 18
As the scientists don't know the exact reasons that cause cancer, there are many news that states different foods can cause it. I think we can eat/drink everything with moderation.
2 people like this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
30 Mar 18
@Daelii Yes, and it is the same with what is healthy and what is not. I remember when eggs were the enemies because they increase the cholesterol level. Now it is okay to eat eggs.
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@Daelii (5619)
• United States
30 Mar 18
@anikoonline yeah. It does seem like what is good or bad changes often. Coffee was taken off the world health organization basic health concerns list. So its like hmmm....
I kinda believe them more than the USA fda who seems to be purchasable by big companies.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Mar 18
I am not a coffee drinker so I guess I do not have to worry one way or another.
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
30 Mar 18
No. It means the FDA wants to kill us. There used to be truly healthy food on the market then the FDA got involved and poisoned everything we consume.
1 person likes this
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
30 Mar 18
I wish I could disagree! The FDA allows all kinds of poison in our foods that other countries don't allow. Many name brands exist in the USA and in other countries and the foods in the USA have toxins and the food in the other countries have healthy alternatives!
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
30 Mar 18
Well, I am not sure but I really love to drink coffee.
1 person likes this
