Image source www.timhortons.com
A surprising fact, not beer but tea is world’s most popular drink. People have been drinking tea since 2700 BC.Some
ancient kings even consider it a healing drink. Coffee comes after that. According to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, mankind drinks about six billion cups of coffee a day !
But I am not here to discuss about what is the most popular drink of the world. I am here to discuss about a new report, that shows that hot beverages can cause cancer.
What is the report?
Report says – very hot beverages can contribute to cell injury in the esophagus and in long run can contribute to cancer formation. So why coffee becomes the villain then ? Very simple, coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages after tea. Billions of people drink coffee every day and if most of these people drink very hot coffee on a regular basis – then there is a good possibility that in the long run, some of these people may have esophagus cancer.
What is Esophagus
The esophagus is about 8 inches long muscular tube connecting the throat (pharynx) with the stomach. Esophagus runs behind the windpipe, heart, then in front of the spine and finally before entering the stomach, it passes through the diaphragm .
Human Esophagus. Image source www.webmd.com
Temperature
Any beverages that is hotter the 65 degrees Celsius or 149 degrees in Fahrenheit is consider “Very Hot”. So hot beverages should be consumed in a temperature lower then mention above.
Rising Risk
Once coffee used to consider a luxury or occasional drink in many countries. But it is a different scenario today. Because of the economic growth in many developing countries, coffee has become more affordable to general people or to be precious to the middle class. Also because of the change in work culture and globalization people are drinking more coffee than ever. An alarming issue that we all need to be aware.
So before you sip your next favorite hot beverage – please make sure it is not too hot. I am adding some related information about the article, that may become handy someday –
What is carcinogen?
In plain word a substance that is capable of causing cancer in living tissue. A good example – Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
IARC
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. Agency’s goal is to identify the causes of cancer so that preventive measures may be adopted and the burden of disease and associated suffering reduced. Official website: http://www.iarc.fr
World Health Organization
WHO is who ?
WHO or World Health Organization is a member of the United Nations Development Group. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations deals with international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, it’s headquarter is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Writer – Rubayat M.
