Very Hot Drinks Could Triple Risk of Oesophageal Cancer, Study Finds

By Benson Daniel

Drinking very hot tea, coffee and other beverages could significantly increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer, with people who consume drinks at very high temperatures facing up to three times the risk of one form of the disease, a major new study has found.

Researchers examined health and lifestyle data from nearly 980,000 adults in the United Kingdom and followed them for more than a decade. The study focused on the relationship between the temperature at which people consumed hot drinks and their risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, one of the two main forms of oesophageal cancer.

The findings showed a clear association between drink temperature and cancer risk. Participants who said they usually drank their beverages very hot had about three times the risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma compared with those who preferred their drinks warm.

Those who drank hot beverages also recorded a higher risk, at around 1.7 times that of people who consumed their drinks warm.

The research also found that frequency mattered. People who consumed six or more hot drinks a day had a 71 per cent higher risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma compared with those who drank fewer than six, after taking the temperature of the drinks into account.

Researchers stressed, however, that the findings do not mean that drinking tea or coffee itself causes cancer. The concern is primarily linked to the temperature of the beverage.

The study found no clear association between hot drink temperature and oesophageal adenocarcinoma, the other major type of oesophageal cancer. The stronger relationship was observed with squamous cell carcinoma.

Scientists believe repeated exposure to very hot liquids could damage the cells lining the oesophagus, potentially causing inflammation and cellular changes that increase the likelihood of cancer developing over time.

The latest findings build on earlier research from different parts of the world, including regions where very hot tea and other beverages are commonly consumed. Previous international evidence has also linked beverages consumed at temperatures above about 65 degrees Celsius with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer.

Despite the apparent increase in relative risk, experts have stressed that oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma remains relatively uncommon in the UK. The overall lifetime risk of developing the disease is estimated at around one per cent.

Researchers therefore urged people not to panic but to allow very hot drinks to cool before drinking them. A simple reduction in drinking temperature could potentially lower the risk associated with repeated heat exposure.

Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption remain important established risk factors for oesophageal cancer, and reducing exposure to these risks is considered particularly important in preventing the disease.

The study also acknowledged limitations. Participants were asked to describe how hot they preferred their drinks rather than having the actual temperature of every beverage measured. Researchers said further work is needed to establish precisely what temperatures and patterns of consumption pose the greatest risk.

The findings nevertheless add to growing evidence that the temperature at which people consume hot beverages may matter for long term health.

For regular tea and coffee drinkers, allowing a freshly prepared drink to cool for a few minutes before consumption could be a simple precaution while researchers continue to investigate the relationship between heat exposure and oesophageal cancer.