California is worried about coffee – and browned foods – as new law requires cancer warnings based on “murky” science
By jessicadolores // 2018-04-26
Copy
 
Californians may soon be seeing a cancer warning on their coffee cup whenever they order the brew. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle has just proposed that coffee should come with a warning about the popular drink's supposed "dangers to health". The proposed ruling zeroes in on the carcinogen acrylamide, which is found in the roasting process. It is released when foods are prepared at high heat, including roasting, deep frying, and grilling. The Council for Education and Research on Toxins has sued coffee makers to get them to remove acrylamide from their beverages or post a warning on their products. But coffee makers said removing acrylamide would ruin their products' flavor. For his part, Berle said that Starbucks and the 90 other co-defendants in the case failed to prove that coffee doesn't cause cancer. Coffee lovers who oppose the proposed ruling have an ally in Alice Bender, director of nutrition at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). The nutrition expert thinks this  "coffee scare" is a shame because most people don't know that other lifestyle factors, like weight and physical activity play a more important role in health and cancer risk. True enough, evidence of the relationship between coffee and cancer is shaky. Bender herself denies that any such connection exists. It's also important to note that the proposed ruling doesn't stem from new scientific data on coffee and cancer. Dr. Dale Shepard, a medical oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic explained that the proposal is a judicial decision, with no medical study to back it up. He admitted that lab animals exposed to high doses of acrylamide develop cancer, but there are no findings proving that the results apply to people. Shepard added that even the U.S. Food Drug Administration says acrylamide is safe for humans; the World Health Organization itself struck coffee out from its 2016 list of carcinogens after finding no evidence linking the beverage to cancer. Many recent studies negate the cancer scare in coffee. A meta-analysis of 127 studies showed that coffee may lower the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal, colon, and endometrial cancers. One other study, this time care of University of São Paolo researchers, revealed that regular coffee consumption reduced the odds of developing atherosclerosis among non-smokers. Moderation is still the key. Enjoy your coffee, but drink in moderation, Bender said. Here many ways to enjoy your coffee.
  • Iced – Summer is the perfect time to enjoy coffee. You can always drop pieces of ice cubes in your coffee. Or you can try storing it in the freezer, waiting for it to be partially frozen, then crushing the entire thing to make a flavorful coffee slushie.
  • Popsicles – Pour the beverage in a popsicle tray, or add flavors and additives to make this summer treat more delightful.
  • Flavored – Enjoy guilt-free coffee by adding natural extracts like vanilla and almond-coconut milk.
Coffee need not be a symbol of stress or sleep deprivation. Experiment with flavors and try new recipes that will give you endless sources of pleasure and relaxation. You'll end up with wonderful memories of summer and other moments enjoying your favorite cup of healthy coffee. Want to read more about ridiculous stories about people pushing fake science for their own social justice agendas? Visit FakeScience.news today. Sources include: Today.com VergeCampus.com JAHA.AHAJournals.org TheGuardian.com
Copy