Monday, January 16, 2006

No more coffee

I found this article in the Times

COFFEE is responsible for as much as a third of daily consumption of the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide, research by the United Nations has found.

The study reveals that coffee may give those who drink it anything from 13% to 39% of the acrylamide they consume — only chips and crisps are responsible for greater quantities on average.



Acrylamide is produced during cooking, particularly high-temperature processes such as frying and roasting. Some of the highest levels are found in chips, crisps, biscuits and bread, but it has now emerged that roasting coffee beans also produces significant amounts.

The research does not assess the health risks of acrylamide, but a separate series of studies is under way to investigate this. One of the largest studies is a European Union project looking at possible links between the chemical and breast cancer.

So alcohol will addle my brain and coffee will increase my risk of cancer. Thankfully oranges are very cheap here in Spain - I think I'll try freshly squeezed juice unless someone knows about any potential dangers that orange juice poses.

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