Top expert reveals which type of coffee is linked to cancer – and the type of coffee that is healthiest for you
Instant coffee is the most commonly consumed type of coffee in Britain, but experts warn that drinking too much could increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
That’s because the popular caffeinated drink contains twice as much acrylamide as ground coffee – a chemical created when food, including coffee beans, is cooked at high temperatures.
It has been declared a ‘problem human carcinogen’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), meaning there is evidence the chemical can cause cancer in humans.
Laboratory tests have shown that dietary acrylamide causes lung and reproductive cancer in animals. Scientists agree that it also has the potential to cause cancer in humans, the researchers said. Food Standards Agency (FSA).
One Polish from 2013 studyAn analysis of 42 coffee samples, including 11 instant coffee, showed that instant coffee contained double the amount of acrylamide than freshly ground coffee.
According to researchers from McGill University in Canada.
Although instant coffee contains acrylamide, it also contains more antioxidants than ground coffee, which protects against cell damage.
Dr. Pál Maurovich-Horvat, director of medical imaging at Semmelweis University in Budapest, told The Telegraph that instant coffee contains melanoids, an antioxidant that increases the diversity of bacteria in your intestines, which can also help protect against disease.
Experts reveal healthy ways to make your morning brew, with research showing the drink can improve the health of your brain, heart and gut
Acrylamide, found in higher doses in instant coffee, has been declared a ‘problem human carcinogen’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), meaning there is evidence the chemical can cause cancer in humans.
However, it is believed that filter coffee and espresso are among the healthiest forms of your morning brew.
Filtered coffee – which is made by passing ground beans and hot water through a paper or metal filter – has been found to contribute to lower rates of artery disease, the most common cause of heart attacks.
That’s according to researchers in Norway who has studied the coffee habits of 500,000 people for twenty years and found that drinking four cups of filter coffee a day will help you reap these heart health benefits.
Espresso-based coffees, including cappuccinos, lattes and flat whites, are believed to be beneficial for our brains and have been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
One Italian from 2023 study found extracts of espresso reduced build-up of the toxic protein called tau – which fuels dementia – when mixed with brain samples in petri dishes.
Research has also shown that caffeine reduces amyloid buildup and reduces inflammation and cell death in the brain, which may reduce the risk of dementia.
But the Alzheimer’s Society explains that this has only been proven in mice and not in humans, meaning the link is still uncertain.