After going through the news last week, I found an article about coffee being linked to cancer. The research behind it is basically that coffee beans when roasted, release acrylamide, a chemical that is considered to possibly cause cancer.
I did go into further research and found that there is no solid evidence about dietary acrylamide is associated with increasing the risk of developing cancer. One of the studies that suggested a link was performed in rats. In the study, acrylamide was added to their drinking water, this is not solid proof as the rate of absorption in rodents is different from that in humans.
I am a huge coffee drinker, and I will not lie, this made me a little bit sad. I love my coffee and I like it on a daily basis. In fact, I am having my cup of coffee as I type this. I try however to keep it to one cup a day. Even before reading this article, when I catch myself having more than a cup a day I stop myself.
The reason I keep my cup to one a day is that everything we consume in excess can be bad for us. Even the natural food products, when consumed in high quantities, once their benefits have reached their maximum, toxic levels begin to kick in.
With all this said, you and I both know, everything has in some way or another been linked to cancer. The truth is we don’t really know, hopefully, one day we will. But for now, it is better to live 75 years well spent than 100 years living a restricted life in a bubble or 50 years of excessive amounts of fun.
It is up to you to decide. I chose to live a balanced life. A life on which my diet consists of having a little bit of everything. Instead of cutting foods out of my life, I cut the portion size. Therefore, instead of cutting coffee out of my life, I reduce the amount I drink. Balance may not be easy to achieve, but once you do, it can be a beautiful thing.
Sources:
- Virk-Baker MK, Nagy TR, Barnes S, Groopman J. Dietary acrylamide and human cancer: a systematic review of literature. Nutrition and Cancer 2014;66(5):774-790. [PubMed Abstract]
- Fennell TR, Friedman MA. Comparison of acrylamide metabolism in humans and rodents. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2005; 561:109-116. [PubMed Abstract]
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