Very hot tea and coffee could triple cancer risk, Oxford study warns

A new Oxford study suggests that regularly drinking very hot tea or coffee may significantly increase the risk of oesophageal cancer. Researchers gathered and examined information from across the nation and established a clear link between hot drinks and the disease.

While earlier studies have indicated a comparable connection, the latest project offers the most comprehensive analysis of the issue to date. Participants who said they liked hot beverages faced roughly 1.7 times the cancer risk of those who preferred warm beverages.

The risk increased to about three times the risk for individuals who drank them very hot, while consuming six or more hot beverages daily also raised the risk compared to drinking fewer than six per day.

The new study suggests that the temperature at which coffee and tea is drunk in Western populations is estimated to be around 60C.

In this connection, Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer research UK said: “ While the risk of being diagnosed with this cancer remains relatively low in the UK, this research does add to the evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.”

The two main types of oesophageal cancer are adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It has been observed that there are around 9,500 cases of oesophageal cancer in the UK every year.

Lead researcher and senior nutrition epidemiologist, Dr Karen Papier at Oxford Population said: “While the risk of being diagnosed with this cancer remains relatively low in the UK, this research does add to the evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.”

“International research has shown for some time that drinking beverages like mate at very high temperatures, as is typical in South America, is linked to increased risk of certain oesophageal cancers.”

“This is now the largest study to look at that question in a UK population, where many people drink tea and coffee daily, Fiona continued.”