Very hot tea, coffee linked to higher oesophageal cancer risk
REGULARLY drinking tea or coffee at temperatures of 65°C or higher may nearly triple the risk of oesophageal cancer, according to a University of Oxford study involving 977,282 middle-aged men and women. The study, published in the International Jour...
Consuming extremely hot tea or coffee may nearly triple the risk of oesophageal cancer, suggests a recent University of Oxford study analyzing data from 977,282 middle-aged individuals. Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the research discovered that those who frequently consumed "very hot" beverages faced roughly three times the risk compared to those who drank them at warmer temperatures.
According to researchers, scalding liquids could harm the protective lining of the oesophagus as they travel towards the stomach. The study revealed that sipping six or more hot beverages daily was also linked to an elevated risk. While adding milk to tea or coffee might slightly reduce the temperature, experts warned that these drinks could still be too hot for safe consumption.
Tea boiled directly from boiling water can be near 100°C, while its temperature typically drops to between 90°C and 95°C once poured into a cup. Dr Keren Papier, the lead researcher, noted that earlier studies in South America, where very hot herbal mate is commonly consumed, also found a comparable association between hot drinks and oesophageal cancer. "Further research is now required to pinpoint the precise temperature of drinks that pose an increased risk," she stated.
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