Hot Drinks Linked to Oesophageal Cancer

Drinking very hot liquids have been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer, Scientists have discovered that drinking soup, tea or any liquids at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk. Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations where tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America.

Compared with drinking warm or lukewarm tea with an average temperature of 65C or less, drinking hot liquids in the range of 65 to 69C was associated with twice the risk of oesophageal cancer, and drinking very liquids at 70C or more was associated with an eight-fold increased risk. The speed with which people drank the hot liquid was also important. Drinking the hot liquid in under two minutes straight after it was poured was associated with a five-fold higher risk of cancer compared with drinking liquids four or more minutes after being poured. So next time you plan to drink hot soup, tea or coffee, make sure it gets cooled down a bit first before drinking.