A cup of joe or two is good (just not too hot, OK?)

Coffee drinkers got a dose of good news and bad news recently. The good news is that coffee is no longer considered carcinogenic. The bad news is that it can be if you drink it too hot. This re-emphasizes the common-sense rule of eating — and drinking. Don’t do it to excess or extreme.

For many years, the World Health Organization considered coffee to be a possible carcinogen. In its latest report, the organization changed course and stated that coffee should no longer be considered carcinogenic. Indeed, it may be beneficial in warding off liver and uterine cancers.

The good news was tempered by the results of a WHO study that found that drinking coffee — and any other beverage — at temperatures above 149 degrees could cause people to develop cancer of the esophagus.

That is not necessarily a concern for those brewing a cup of coffee before work in the morning. Home coffeemakers produce coffee in the range of 135 to 150 degrees.

It gets trickier when purchasing coffee from a restaurant or coffee shop. In 1992, a woman sued McDonald’s after she was burned when the coffee spilled on her. Testimony showed that the coffee was close to 190 degrees.

McDonald’s eventually settled the case and modified its guidelines on serving coffee. But it would not be surprising if some diners, coffee shops or fast-food restaurants serve their coffee in excess of 149 degrees.

The common thread, however, through most of these reports is that moderation can minimize risk. A beer or a glass of wine is not dangerous — and can even promote good health. Still, three or four beers or glasses of wine a night are problematic. A sensible portion of steak provides needed protein, but too much can spike cholesterol or triglycerides. The same is true of that cup of joe.

This latest study is not a call to quit drinking coffee, but another call for common sense.

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette