Bus at too high a temperature, hot drinks would be responsible for esophageal cancer, according to a long-awaited report from IARC.
Coffee and mate at moderate temperature are ultimately not carcinogenic; when consumed too hot, on the other hand, they “probably” cause cancer of the esophagus. These are the conclusions of a long-awaited report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an offshoot of the WHO (World Health Organization).
From 65 ° C
It is from 65 degrees Celsius that drinks, tea, coffee, mate or other, would become toxic, according to the report. “These results suggest that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be the cause of esophageal cancer,” said Christopher Wild, director of IARC, quoted by AFP.
The report aimed to reassess the carcinogenic risks of coffee, one of the most consumed beverages in the world, which had been classified as “possibly carcinogenic” by IARC in 1991. At the time, coffee was suspected of being ‘be involved in bladder cancer. But the limited data did not sufficiently take into account smoking or occupational exposure to toxic products.
Doubts raised about the coffee
In 2016, coffee was therefore spared. An analysis based on data from “more than 1,000 studies in humans and animals”. In addition, numerous epidemiological studies have shown that coffee consumption has no carcinogenic effect on pancreatic, breast and prostate cancers. A reduction in risk has even been observed for liver and endometrial cancers, notes the IARC.
As for mate (infusion of leaves), prized in Latin America but also in the Middle East, provided it is drunk cold or at room temperature, it is not considered carcinogenic either.
It’s all a matter of temperature, then. The majority of esophageal cancers occur in parts of Asia, South America and East Africa, where very hot drinks are frequently drunk, notes IARC.
400,000 deaths per year
According to studies in China, Iran, Turkey and countries in South America, where tea and mate are traditionally drunk very hot (at around 70 ° C), the risk of cancer of the The esophagus increases with the temperature at which the drink is consumed.
“Normal temperatures for coffee and tea in European countries and North America are well below. Coffee and tea are often drunk below 60 degrees, ”say the experts.
Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer in the world and one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, with approximately 400,000 deaths recorded in 2012 (5% of all cancer deaths).
However, the proportion of esophageal cancer cases that may be linked to the consumption of very hot drinks is not known. Smoking and alcohol consumption are major factors in this type of cancer, especially in high-income countries.
>> Read our survey on coffee: why this beverage is good for you
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