Drink up, coffee lovers. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it is downgrading the brew as a possible carcinogen, citing a recent review that found inadequate evidence linking the beverage to more than 20 cancers.
But the news isn’t all good. In a report published this week, the International Agency for Research on Cancer—the WHO’s cancer agency—says it did find drinking “very hot” beverages probably increases the risk of cancer.
“These results suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of esophageal cancer and that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible,” says Dr. Christopher Wild, IARC Director.
The report cited countries such as China, Iran, Turkey and South America where it’s popular to drink tea or maté at very hot temperatures, typically around 158°F. Studies in these countries found that as the temperature of the beverage increased, so did the risk of cancer.