Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well. Coffee by itself is a known concoction of a multitude of chemicals, the most famous being caffeine, other chemicals present include chlorogenic acid, and putrescine, among others. Manufacturing of coffee entails the usage of multiple chemicals, fertilisers, insecticides, among others. Here is what Dr Prasad Kasbekar, Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Masina Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai, has to opine on the subject.
A simple coffee is a powerhouse of chemicals
"Many have asked me whether coffee can cause cancer. Conventional wisdom would say that excessive consumption would somehow be associated with the dreaded disease. Anything in excess would be deleterious, why should coffee be different. However, studies suggest something else, a few studies done on the topic show that coffee is not associated with cancers in general. A few studies have been associating coffee with the risk of bladder cancer and lung cancer, but no conclusive evidence has been obtained. In colorectal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer, coffee has also been shown to have a protective effect.
Now, one must understand that none of these is absolute, and a lot more studies are needed regarding this to prove a protective or destructive association conclusively. Polyphenols present in coffee are known to have a beneficial effect in preventing cancer and other diseases such as hypertension and heart disease; while acrylamide present is known to be carcinogenic with an association seen with lung and bladder and blood cancers.