Health

Calories in Iced Coffees Increase Risk of Cancer, Experts Find

by Kevin Fed | July 27, 2009 at 03:02 am

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When the world is going gaga over calorie consciousness, comes the news of increased amount of calories in everyones favorite coffee.

Yes, experts from the World Cancer Research Fund have deduced from their study that some iced coffees contain more than a quarter of a woman's recommended daily calorie intake. Regular intake of such high calories in drinks apart from regular meals would make the person vulnerable to obesity, which would be the stepping stone towards cancer.

Iced versions of normal coffee such as frappuccinos contain so many calories that they increase people's chances of becoming overweight, the second biggest cause of cancer after smoking, according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

A survey of iced coffees sold by high street chains Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee identified the worst culprit as the venti dark berry mocha frappuccino at Starbucks, which contains 561 calories. Even without whipped cream it still has 457 calories.

Health experts advise that a woman should consume about 2,000 calories and a man 2,500 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight.

"The fact that there is an iced coffee on the market with over a quarter of a woman's daily calorie allowance is alarming. This is the amount of calories you might expect to have in an evening meal, not in a drink," said Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager at the WCRF.

Having such drinks as an occasional treat is fine, she said.

"But if you are having them regularly then they will increase the chances of you becoming overweight, which in turn increases your risk of developing cancer, as well as other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes."