{
  "id": 8139726,
  "title": "Love your drinks piping hot? It might be best to let them cool",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/love-your-drinks-piping-hot-it-might-be-best-to-let-them-cool-8139726",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-18T00:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/09/18/love-your-drinks-piping-hot-it-might-be-best-to-let-them-cool"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent UK study has found that individuals who prefer their drinks \"very hot\" are at a significantly higher risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared to those who drink their beverages at warm temperatures. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and published in the International Journal of Cancer, analyzed data from almost 980,000 adults and followed their health records for over a decade. The researchers did not find that the beverages themselves, such as tea or coffee, were the cause of the increased risk, but rather, the temperature of the drinks played a significant role. Drinking beverages that are too hot can cause repeated thermal injuries to the oesophageal lining, leading to inflammation and changes that could potentially increase the risk of cancer. The study specifically found that people who consumed six or more hot beverages per day had a 71% higher risk of SCC than those who consumed fewer than six. However, it is important to note that the absolute risk remains relatively low, and oesophageal SCC is still a relatively uncommon form of cancer. Other well-established risk factors for oesophageal SCC include smoking and alcohol consumption. The practical advice for tea and coffee lovers, according to the study, is to avoid drinking their beverages while they are still scalding hot. There is no need to give up these beloved drinks, but it is recommended to allow them to cool down to a more moderate temperature before consumption.",
  "summary": "A new study links very hot drinks with higher risk of oesophageal cancer, adding to evidence that temperature matters more than the beverage itself.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Love your drinks piping hot? It might be best to let them cool",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/love-your-drinks-piping-hot-it-might-be-best-to-let-them-cool",
        "published": "2026-09-18T00:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}