Researchers from Oxford University have published findings suggesting that drinking tea, coffee, and other beverages at very high temperatures significantly elevates the risk of oesophageal cancer. The study, which analyzed data from 977,282 middle-aged adults and represents the largest investigation to date on this topic, found that individuals consuming drinks classified as “very hot” faced approximately three times the cancer risk compared to those drinking warm beverages.
The research, published in the International Journal of Cancer, defines “very hot” as any beverage at 65 degrees Celsius or above. Additionally, consuming six or more hot drinks daily was associated with increased risk. The mechanism behind this link involves thermal damage to the cell lining of the food pipe as extremely hot liquid travels toward the stomach. Researchers noted that adding milk provides only minimal cooling and may not reduce the temperature sufficiently to eliminate risk.
To put temperatures in perspective, tea prepared immediately after boiling reaches approximately 100 degrees Celsius but cools to around 90 or 95 degrees Celsius once poured into a cup. A separate study of 118 young adults found that most participants considered drinks too hot at temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius or above. Cancer Research UK advised allowing beverages to cool until comfortable to drink rather than consuming them while extremely hot, though the organization acknowledged difficulty in specifying exact cooling times.
The researchers estimate that approximately one or two in every 10 oesophageal cancers could potentially be prevented if people discontinued drinking very hot beverages. However, experts emphasized that squamous cell oesophageal cancer remains rare, affecting a few thousand people annually in the UK, where approximately 1% of the population faces lifetime risk of diagnosis. Other risk factors, particularly smoking and alcohol consumption, pose greater oesophageal cancer risks. Cancer Research UK highlighted that avoiding smoking and reducing alcohol intake represent the most significant preventive measures against this cancer type.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI