New evidence has emerged that drinking very hot beverages may cause esophageal (throat) cancer. It’s not the beverages themselves, or anything that’s in them. It has to do with the damage searing drinks can cause to delicate throat tissues…
Up to now, there has been lots of cir-cumstantial evidence to support the theory that too-hot drinks such as teas and coffee can trigger one common type of esophageal (throat) cancer…
Now, it’s official
Now, science has uncovered objective statistics that show regular consumpt-ion of beverages at over 70 C / 160 F can cause repeated throat tissue damage which, in turn, can produce changes that lead to squamous cell carcinoma (SSC).
What they did
Researchers saw studies in Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East that consistently showed tea or maté drunk at very high temperatures (around 70°C) increased esophageal cancer risk.
But evidence was limited for tempera-tures typical of Western populations. So… They data-mined two major longitudinal health information collection studies looking for such a connection. The US Million Women Study and the UK Biobank study were analyzed.
What they found
“Consumption of drinks at a ‘very hot’ versus ‘warm’ temperature […] was associated with a 71 percent increase in SCC risk,” an abstract of the study report reveals. “In UK adults, an estimated 14 percent of SCC esophageal cancers could be avoided if individuals who reported consuming their drinks at a ‘very hot’ temperature instead consumed them at a [lower temperature].”
The takeaway
“This large study provides robust evidence that drink temperature as well as frequency of hot drink consumption are likely to be substantial risk factors for SCC,” the study report concludes. “Our find-ings suggest that reducing drink temperature in populations where tea and coffee are frequently consumed could offer an important means of SCC prevention.”
My take
This is big news, indeedT SSC is one of the most common cancers of the skin and mucous mem-branes. Early detection and treatment, before it spreads, are essential to surviving the disease.
If simply letting your coffee or tea cool off a little before drinking it can help you avoid SSC, it’s a small price to pay in the enjoyment of your preferred hot beverage…
~ Maggie J.