FALSEhealth
Did the WHO Declare Coffee a Cause of Cancer?
Claims circulating on social media suggest that the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared that drinking coffee causes cancer. This claim is false. In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, reviewed more than 1,000 scientific studies and concluded that there is inadequate evidence to classify coffee drinking as carcinogenic. Instead, the agency removed coffee from its list of substances considered "possibly carcinogenic." However, it noted that consuming very hot beverages (above approximately 65°C/149°F), regardless of whether they contain coffee, tea, or other drinks, may increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
FactBrief · Jul 5, 2026
