Hot tea doubles risk of cancer: study

TEHRAN: Avoid taking hot tea to protect against oesophageal cancer  as research has found that regularly swallowing hot drinks nearly doubles the risk of developing diseases of the gullet and researchers have advised people to allow beverages to cool. 

According to a new study, regularly drinking very hot tea could increase the risk of esophageal cancer.  In 2016, the World Health Organisation first warned of the cancer risk associated with drinks above 65C.

The research hails from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran and is published in The International Journal of Cancer. Scientists followed about 50,000 individuals between the ages of 40 and 75 from 2004 to 2017. During this period, 317 new cases of esophageal cancer were identified.

It is, therefore, advisable to wait until hot beverages cool down before drinking. Add cold milk to tea and coffee and waiting for hot drinks to cool, study suggests.

Taking 700ml of tea a day at a temperature greater than or equal to 60°C was associated with a 90% higher risk of esophageal cancer. This is lower than estimations from the World Health Organization.

Last year, a Chinese study  found that regularly drinking hot tea could multiply by five the risks of developing esophageal cancer.