At issue in the coffee case is the presence of trace amounts of chemicals such as acrylamide. Acrylamide is an accidental byproduct of cooking. Any food that is baked, fried, or roasted probably contains trace amounts of it. Acrylamide has always been in our food, but the tools of chemistry are now so sensitive that they can detect it. However, as first stated by Paracelsus, the #1 principle in toxicology is, “The dose makes the poison.” At the dose found in our food, acrylamide is not poisonous.

Furthermore, the scientific literature overwhelmingly supports the claim that coffee is healthy. According to a literature review published in 2017 by the Annual Review of Nutrition, “coffee was associated with a probable decreased risk of breast, colorectal, colon, endometrial, and prostate cancers; cardiovascular disease and mortality; Parkinson's disease; and type-2 diabetes.” Science shows that coffee is good for you.