UK study finds ‘very hot’ tea or coffee can increase cancer risk

If I can give those of you who start their day by throwing back a freshly made cup of tea or coffee a word of advice – maybe wait a few minutes before taking that first sip.

According to a growing mountain of research, people who like their beverages scalding hot may be nudging up their risk of an early grave.

Numerous studies conducted on populations across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America have consistently linked drink temperature with esophageal cancer, though there was always the chance that Western populations were less susceptible for some reason.

Now we can rule that possibility out, following a recently published analysis conducted by scientists from the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford.

Like many undergrads keen to make ends meet, I trained as a barista and did my fair share of part-time jobs in coffee shops. When it comes to coffee, it’s just as the old movie title says – some like it hot. Super hot. Scalding, in fact.

There’s no point in debating with customers whether the perfect pot of tea or espresso coffee brews better at temperatures that don’t peel the skin from the roof of your mouth. Around the world, beverages are often made by pouring boiling water into a cup and then taking a sip before it cools.

When just under a million people in the UK were surveyed on their opinion, around 15% said they preferred their drink “very hot”.

The results came from two prospective sources – the UK Biobank and a survey on women aged between 50 and 64 called the Million Women Study. Each also contained mountains of health data, including adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus.

Matching these up, liking your drinks at a very hot temperature made it three times more likely that participants would be diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in their throat some years later, compared with those who simply liked a “warm” beverage. This is regardless of whether the drink of choice was a tea or a coffee.

This implies that around one in seven SCC esophageal cancers could be avoided if we all just took a few minutes to chill before taking that first gulp.

With around a third of the roughly 10,000 esophageal cancers diagnosed each year in the UK being SCCs, that could equate to roughly 500 or so fewer cases each year.

Factor in a five-year survival rate of just under 30% for the disease a decent number of lives could be saved in the UK alone by blowing on one’s cup of English Breakfast.

Of course, Granny Beth’s “very hot” may peel paint from ten yards, while Grandpa Jim’s interpretation of the term could mean he sees it steaming on a cold morning. That leaves a lot of wiggle room in how we might view those numbers.

Taken in context with previous research, however, it’s safe to say you may be playing with fire if you like to feel the burn in your throat. A study conducted on drinkers in China found that men who drank tea daily at temperatures warm, hot, or burning had 17%, 30%, and 55% higher risk of oesophageal cancer, respectively, compared with individuals who didn’t drink tea each day.

Not that any of this should put you off your morning brew. Studies also show that drinking tea or coffee provides a bunch of health benefits, including a potential reduction in the risk of a variety of cancers.

So enjoy your hot cup of happiness. Just take a few moments to appreciate what it does for you next time as you wait for it to cool a touch.

This research was published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Source: Cancer Research UK