Researchers conducting the world’s largest study on hot beverage consumption and oesophageal cancer have found that drinking very hot tea and coffee significantly increases the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus. The analysis, published in the International Journal of Cancer, involved nearly 980,000 participants in the UK who were followed over 14 years. Consumption of drinks at a “very hot” versus “warm” temperature was associated with a threefold greater SCC risk, according to findings led by Dr Keren Papier of the University of Oxford’s population health department.
The research also identified frequency as a contributing factor. Daily consumption of six or more very hot drinks was associated with a 71% increase in SCC risk compared to fewer than six drinks daily. Notably, the study found that hot drinks do not heighten the risk of adenocarcinoma (AC), the other primary form of oesophageal cancer. The conclusions were based on participants’ self-reported preferences for drink temperature rather than precise measurements.
The UK findings align with previous international research conducted in Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, which demonstrated that consuming tea, coffee, or mate at or above 70 degrees Celsius increased oesophageal cancer risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a World Health Organization body, classified hot drinks as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in 2016. Experts suggest that heat damage to oesophageal cell linings may underlie this increased risk, though alcohol and smoking remain significant risk factors for the disease.
Cancer experts recommend allowing very hot beverages to cool until comfortable to drink as a preventive measure. According to the study team, approximately one in seven SCC cases in the UK could potentially be prevented if individuals consuming drinks at “very hot” temperatures instead consumed them at temperatures categorized as “hot.” Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, suggested waiting until drinks are comfortable rather than specifying exact cooling times, though the charity does not advocate for cafes and restaurants to lower serving temperatures.
Some researchers have cautioned about study limitations, noting that self-reported temperatures are inherently subjective. Questions remain about whether individuals who prefer very hot drinks may have underlying biological differences in temperature sensitivity that could independently predispose them to SCC, complicating interpretation of direct causality.
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