There is good news for coffee lovers. An influential panel of experts convened by the World Health Organization presented findings that show regularly drinking coffee could help prevent some types of cancer, according to The New York Times.
The announcement, which came June 15, marks a pivot point for the panel, which previously called coffee "possibly carcinogenic" in 1991 and associated it to bladder cancer, according to the report. However, subsequent research has uncovered numerous health benefits of coffee, including its ability to help lower rates of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, neurological disorders and several types of cancer in those who consume it on a regular basis.
While it is not entirely clear what makes coffee beneficial, scientists say it contains many antioxidants and other compounds that are being studied for anti-cancer properties.
It should be noted that the evidence supporting coffee's health benefits mostly comes from observational studies, which cannot prove cause and effect. At the same time, positive findings about coffee's effects on health have been very consistent across a large number of studies, leading health authorities to endorse it as part of a healthy diet.
The scientists on the panel did identify one surprising risk for coffee and tea drinkers, according to the report. They said drinking "very hot" beverages was "probably carcinogenic" because the practice linked to esophageal cancer in some studies, likely due to excessively hot beverages inflaming the lining of the throat. Risk could be mitigated by allowing a hot cup of coffee or tea to cool down for a few minutes before drinking.