A new large-scale study suggests a link between the consumption of very hot drinks and an increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer. According to scientists, the issue is not necessarily the tea or coffee itself, but the temperature of the liquid, which can damage the sensitive lining of the oesophagus.
Researchers at Oxford Population Health at the University of Oxford analysed data from nearly 980,000 adults in the United Kingdom. Participants who most frequently drank their beverages hot had approximately a 70 per cent higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer compared with those who drank them warm. For those who preferred very hot drinks, the risk was approximately three times higher.
People who drank six or more hot beverages a day had a 71 per cent higher risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma compared with those who drank fewer than six. Scientists believe that repeated exposure of the oesophagus to very high temperatures can irritate and damage the cells of its lining. Long-term repetition of such damage could contribute to processes that increase the likelihood of cancer developing.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which operates under the World Health Organization, classified drinks hotter than 65 degrees Celsius as probably carcinogenic to humans back in 2016. The warning pertains to the very high temperature of the drinks, not to tea or coffee as such.
Oesophageal cancer can develop in different parts of the organ that connects the throat to the stomach. The course and severity of the disease depend on a number of factors, including the size and location of the tumour, the extent of the disease, and the general health of the affected person.
The study's results do not mean that tea and coffee should be eliminated from the daily diet. Experts emphasise that a simple change in habit is sufficient to reduce exposure to very high temperatures – it is best to leave a drink to cool for a few minutes before consuming it. In addition to avoiding very hot drinks, not smoking and limiting alcohol consumption play an important role in reducing the risk of oesophageal cancer.
The new study further supports earlier evidence of a possible link between frequent consumption of very hot drinks and a higher risk of a specific type of oesophageal cancer. This is an association that in itself does not prove that the high temperature of the drinks or a specific habit directly caused the disease.
