Very hot tea may up throat cancer risk

If you like to let your tea sit for a few minutes before drinking it, you’re being wise because researchers think they may have found a link between drinking very hot tea and an increased risk for esophageal cancer. Tea that was too hot was defined as tea that was 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit).

The interesting study was published recently the journal BMJ . Researchers looked at a population of people who live in Northern Iran who often drink tea that is very hot and how often they were diagnosed with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common form of esophageal cancer.

According to the press release, Drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer ,

They studied tea drinking habits among 300 people diagnosed with OSCC and a matched group of 571 healthy controls from the same area. Nearly all participants drank black tea regularly, with an average volume consumed of over one litre a day.

Compared with drinking warm or lukewarm tea (65°C or less), drinking hot tea (65-69°C) was associated with twice the risk of oesophageal cancer, and drinking very hot tea (70°C or more) was associated with eight-fold increased risk.

Of course, this is one study and more research needs to be done before any definitive links are made, but it is something to consider, especially if you may already have some risk factors for esophageal cancer, such as smoking or drinking large amounts of alcohol.

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