Coffee and cancer ... cause or cure ?

[Doc Alan]

Coffee is the most popular drink in the UK, Philippines, and worldwide. The Philippines grows four varieties, Arabica, Excelsa, Liberica and Robusta. Starbucks is a very popular multinational chain in both countries. But according to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, coffee is a Group 2B carcinogenic agent, meaning it can possibly cause cancer ( of bladder, at high dosage ), in humans . ( Group 1, like smoking, are known to cause cancer ). This is confusing !
Coffee is of course a stimulant, it's a mixture of hundreds of chemicals and too much can cause health problems such as insomnia, stomach ulceration, and abnormal heart rhythms. Moderate amounts may protect against diabetes and Parkinson's disease .
There have been around 500 scientific papers looking at coffee consumption and cancers. The most useful are " meta analyses " reviewing all the evidence.
I've read several recent articles, and what they say is reassuring
The ONLY possible risks of cancer are with high dosage - over 6 cups a day - for bladder cancer ( and childhood leukaemia if the mother has consumed a lot ).
For other sites ( liver and uterus ) the association is protective ; large bowel cancer " borderline " protective ; and no association, or some protection, with a variety of other cancers ( prostate, breast, pancreas, kidney, ovary and stomach ) .
The " coffee suncream " suggestion - adding caffeine to sunscreens might protect against skin cancer - is from mice studies, not humans so far.
As with so many enjoyable activities in life, moderation does seem to be the answer, with the bonus that as far as coffee is concerned, it's probably also good for you .

[scott&ligaya]

great news Doc, I love coffee, I import beans, I like to use a hand grinder when I can, I love my italian espresso coffee machine and have been on a barristas course a while back with Gaggia when they were opening a store in Hong Kong. I have been involved in sourcing parts for the high end swiss Jura machines (8000 euro each!!!) ...to make a coffee. You could say coffee is a hobby of mine. I do enjoy coffee from Bagiuo at home in Palawan, we always get some when home at my mahals mums farm.

as you say moderation though .. otherwise I am up all night and need some "comfort" to get to sleep hehehehehe poor mahal

[raynaputi]

Keith drinks more than 6 cups of coffee a day!

[scott&ligaya]

instant or proper coffee?

[Arthur Little]

Coffee is the most popular drink in the UK, Philippines, and worldwide. The Philippines grows four varieties, Arabica, Excelsa, Liberica and Robusta. Starbucks is a very popular multinational chain in both countries. But according to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, coffee is a Group 2B carcinogenic agent, meaning it can possibly cause cancer ( of bladder, at high dosage ), in humans . ( Group 1, like smoking, are known to cause cancer ). This is confusing !
Coffee is of course a stimulant, it's a mixture of hundreds of chemicals and too much can cause health problems such as insomnia, stomach ulceration, and abnormal heart rhythms. Moderate amounts may protect against diabetes and Parkinson's disease .
There have been around 500 scientific papers looking at coffee consumption and cancers. The most useful are " meta analyses " reviewing all the evidence.
I've read several recent articles, and what they say is reassuring
The ONLY possible risks of cancer are with high dosage - over 6 cups a day - for bladder cancer ( and childhood leukaemia if the mother has consumed a lot ).
For other sites ( liver and uterus ) the association is protective ; large bowel cancer " borderline " protective ; and no association, or some protection, with a variety of other cancers ( prostate, breast, pancreas, kidney, ovary and stomach ) .
The " coffee suncream " suggestion - adding caffeine to sunscreens might protect against skin cancer - is from mice studies, not humans so far.
As with so many enjoyable activities in life, moderation does seem to be the answer, with the bonus that as far as coffee is concerned, it's probably also good for you .

for another excellent and enlightening article based on your professional expertise, Alan. I used to imagine I drank when I was still working ... and have since restricted myself to one cup in the morning. Thankfully, I seem none the worse of my erstwhile habit in middle age. And I MUST say, it's encouraging to read your concluding statement.

[raynaputi]

eeerrr i don't know..probably both

[KeithD]

Keith drinks more than 6 cups of coffee a day!

200ml Cups though not mugs .... of REAL COFFEE ..... although that new Kenco Milicano is nice.

[scott&ligaya]

yup it is nice and a good idea by Kenco as is the carte noir instant if i am being lazy or in a hurry

[Steve.r]

I only drink coffee 3in1 when I am in Phils, I think I'll be ok

[Dedworth]

Douwe Egberts Cafetière for me

[raynaputi]

i drink less Starbucks now..used to be everyday.. now just once in a week or two..or sometimes just a mug of capuccino at work when i'm very very very sleepy!

[Tawi2]

I drink about a cup a month

[KeithD]

....just a mug of capuccino at work when i'm very very very sleepy!

That'll be 5 nights a week then?

I drink about a cup a month

Don't you find it hard digesting pottery?

[Terpe]

I love coffee.
All kinds of coffee.
Not really fond of starbucks though.

My latest treat from Philippines is a kilo of coffee called Mt.Apo Altura Coffee. It's from Dizon Farms.
It says on the packet that it's "grown from chemical free arabica beans at altitudes of 1500mts and above in the rich volcanic soil of Mt Apo"

I haven't tried it yet though so can't give an opinion.

Anyone here tried it?

[Doc Alan]

Mt.Apo Altura Coffee ... "grown from chemical free arabica beans at altitudes of 1500mts and above in the rich volcanic soil of Mt Apo"
Anyone here tried it?

No,but I did enjoy Bohol coffee which is also an organic Arabica " from trees grown at 3000 feet above sea level " , said to " offer a unique aroma ... resulting from the blend of Typica and Bourbon trees found in this region " .
How good that we can discuss coffee consumption free from the worry that - at least in moderation - it will be harmful . This time no member can complain about " doom and gloom " from the " health fascists " !
(The World Health Organization also now classes cellphones as 2B carcinogens - but that's another thread, another day - " possibly carcinogenic " means ... maybe ? . )

[Terpe]

Since I quit smoking I can now very honestly say that my coffee consumption is moderate.
When I smoked I think consumed more than average. I used to love a cigarette with my coffee

[aug06_2006]

we r using Kenco Decaff..luv it...

[branno]

I love coffee.
All kinds of coffee.
Not really fond of starbucks though.

My latest treat from Philippines is a kilo of coffee called Mt.Apo Altura Coffee. It's from Dizon Farms.
It says on the packet that it's "grown from chemical free arabica beans at altitudes of 1500mts and above in the rich volcanic soil of Mt Apo"

I haven't tried it yet though so can't give an opinion.

Anyone here tried it?

its quite nice terpe esp with goats milk i still have a small brown bag left so just for sundays now and wen ground goes wow in a caffatiere.. and is complimented by the saturdays issue of the guardian a heavenly coffee day..

[branno]

Coffee is the most popular drink in the UK, Philippines, and worldwide. The Philippines grows four varieties, Arabica, Excelsa, Liberica and Robusta. Starbucks is a very popular multinational chain in both countries. But according to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, coffee is a Group 2B carcinogenic agent, meaning it can possibly cause cancer ( of bladder, at high dosage ), in humans . ( Group 1, like smoking, are known to cause cancer ). This is confusing !
Coffee is of course a stimulant, it's a mixture of hundreds of chemicals and too much can cause health problems such as insomnia, stomach ulceration, and abnormal heart rhythms. Moderate amounts may protect against diabetes and Parkinson's disease .
There have been around 500 scientific papers looking at coffee consumption and cancers. The most useful are " meta analyses " reviewing all the evidence.
I've read several recent articles, and what they say is reassuring
The ONLY possible risks of cancer are with high dosage - over 6 cups a day - for bladder cancer ( and childhood leukaemia if the mother has consumed a lot ).
For other sites ( liver and uterus ) the association is protective ; large bowel cancer " borderline " protective ; and no association, or some protection, with a variety of other cancers ( prostate, breast, pancreas, kidney, ovary and stomach ) .
The " coffee suncream " suggestion - adding caffeine to sunscreens might protect against skin cancer - is from mice studies, not humans so far.
As with so many enjoyable activities in life, moderation does seem to be the answer, with the bonus that as far as coffee is concerned, it's probably also good for you .

Nice post doc... also a very interesting one... some yrs ago i was employed by a huge scottish firm, one of the largest tea plantation owners in the world.. any how the story goes that they wanted a tea and coffee caffeine extraction plant building in my neck of the woods up north, which was to be the first of its kind in england.. so we built it then we had to fine tune it to obtain the desired results... now this became more interesting.. no one at that time except for one europen country had been doing this extraction on a large scale process... was a very complicated process too.. it took some five yrs to perfect the tea decaffeination side but the coffee was a little more difficult...

whilst we where struggling to decaffeinate the tea.. i decided to research more on the chemicals that where used... as when your exposed to chemicals it can have adverse affects on ur health.. and by god these chems where not healthy.. so after long nights searching i discoverd that a particular chemical used to extract the caffeine does cause cancer in rats and mice and is known to reduce a mans sperm quality.. at this point in time the FDA of america decided to ban this chemical which is used soo widely in so many things.. so they put a complete ban on the substance . thus reducing any future problems with it... But the uk MDA decided it was completely safe to use as we measure the thresh hold quite differently to this chemical... soo ur decaff tea and coffee this day is still been decaffed using a carcinogenic substance by a certain company in the uk... just to inform people how the process works tea is wetted to 30 percent then soaked in cancer causing chemicals... then the tea is steamed to remove 99 percent of the chemical as its a rather expensive to lose so it has to be recovered and then recleaned to use again.. thats decaff for u...

[Arthur Little]

Don't you find it hard digesting pottery?

... maybe it's just a "chip off the old crock~ery".

[Sim11UK]

I'm a simple soul, like my name suggests.
Quite happy with an instant coffee, 3 in 1 when in Phils...Only 1 or 2 cups a day.

I drink more tea

[scott&ligaya]

I used to have guy work for me in Hong Kong who was a chinese tea hobbyist. We were visiting a large factory in Zuhai and having an introduction with the owner in his office. His PA brought us all tea which was in my opinion a bit crap but CK told me afterwards that we were drinking tea that cost $500USD per 1kg box. Well I don`t know much about tea hehehehehehe