Drinking very hot tea almost doubles risk of cancer, new study says

[IronLionZion]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/health/hot-tea-linked-to-higher-cancer-risk-study-intl/index.html

(CNN)Many people start their day with a cup of tea. But those who drink it piping hot could be increasing their risk of esophageal cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers found that tea drinkers who liked their beverage to be warmer than 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) and consumed more than 700 ml of tea per day -- about two large cups -- had a 90% higher risk of esophageal cancer, when compared to those who drank less tea and at cooler temperatures.

The study looked at more than 50,000 people in Golestan, a province in northeastern Iran.

"Many people enjoy drinking tea, coffee, or other hot beverages. However, according to our report, drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of esophageal cancer, and it is therefore advisable to wait until hot beverages cool down before drinking," said Dr. Farhad Islami, of the American Cancer Society and the study's lead author.

Previous research has found a link between hot tea drinking and esophageal cancer. This study, published Wednesday in the International Journal of Cancer, was the first to pinpoint a specific temperature, according to the authors.

I always let it cool considerably before sipping but sometimes one can be in a rush.

[Blaukraut]

1. There goes another one of the little joys in life n/t

[HipChick]

2. 50,000 people in Golestan? How about the UK?

Biggest tea drinkers...sample set would be so much better

[IronLionZion]

4. Or China, India, and most of that part of the world

Same with coffee in the Americas. Any hot drink really.

[Skidmore]

21. Tea is the

main drink of the Middle East and Asia. Good place for such a study.

[jberryhill]

3. Given that "tea" can be made from any of hundreds of things...

...then it might be worth knowing what is the most common plant used to make "tea" in Golestan, Iran, since the chemical composition might have something to do with the different effects of temperature.

[a kennedy]

5. Oh just wait a month or two and they'll say they were wrong....

or just drink it at 100 degrees or so........

[msongs]

6. tea temp 60, body temp 98.6...seems like tea is a coolant nt

[nolabear]

7. Celsius.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

36. centigrade

Celsius is socialism!

[MicaelS]

8. Almost every fucking day, there is a new study...

That says something causes cancer, or fights cancer, or WTF-ever.

Alcohol is good for you in moderate quantities. Then any alcohol is bad for you.

This, or that is good for you, until another study says it is bad for you.

We are told to listen to the experts, but even the experts disagree.

[MicaelS]

25. Bingo, you nailed it. n/t

[Arazi]

9. Ffs, I thought this was the Onion....ridiculous

[Javaman]

10. anyone drinks tea that hot, does not know how to drink tea.

good tea, real tea must be steeped before drinking.

During that time, the temp comes down.

[LuvNewcastle]

34. That's right.

I guess maybe they boil it in some parts of the world, but I've never seen it done that way.

[DesertRat]

11. It was the heat that was the issue rather than the type of beverage

More from the link:

The study said more research was needed on why exactly drinking very hot tea is associated with the higher risk of esophageal cancer.
Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that it was the heat that was the issue rather than the type of beverage.
"In fact, it is probably anything hot: Microwaved jam has been known to cause esophageal injury. It is possible that the trauma leads to cell changes and hence to cancer," he told the Science Media Centre. Evans was not involved in the study.
In the United States and Europe, tea is rarely consumed at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius (149 degrees Fahrenheit) -- but in places like Russia, Iran, Turkey and South America, it is common to drink tea that hot or even hotter.

[Drahthaardogs]

19. Of course it is.

Just like chronic irritation can promote cancer. Why people find this surprising is beyond me.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. I owe a thanks to my kids.

2 boys, 18 months apart kept me hopping, and I learned to eat/drink stuff that was cold.
seriously.

Used to take a travel mug of not very warm strong coffee ( milk and sugar) and make it last almost the whole day.

Wonder if they are gonna find ice cold drinks will do you in?

[IronLionZion]

30. Ice cold drinks can cause different problems like headaches

but not as bad as cancer

[aikoaiko]

12. I like my tea iced.

[smirkymonkey]

18. I also prefer it that way.

I do like hot tea from time to time, but I usually put milk in it and it needs to cool down a bit before I can drink it. I like it somewhere between warm and almost hot.

[Loki Liesmith]

13. Just the heat?

Heat kills cells. Cells multiply to replace. Increased reproductive rate increases probability of a cancer.

[Maru Kitteh]

17. That's what I was thinking, unless they studied equivalent coffee drinkers too

[Sanity Claws]

14. I should be dead by now.

[IronLionZion]

15. We're all going to die of something some day

the researchers in this article just want us to lower the temperature of very hot drinks. I can do that.

[Maru Kitteh]

16. 140 degrees?

OUCH.

Yeah, I have a cup of tea now and then but not THAT hot. I'm good.

[IronLionZion]

20. Boiling point is 212

it cools pretty fast while steeping but I can't say I actually measure the temperature before taking a sip.

[csziggy]

22. If my tea is too hot, I drop an ice cube into it if I am in a hurry.

The only time I like really hot tea is when my nose is stuffed up and I will be drinking Bigelow's Mint Medley or Bigelow's Lemon Ginger - neither of which are really "tea" but are herbal infusions. With both of those, I like getting the flavored steam into my nose to sooth it and help open up my sinuses.

I've recently taken up drinking tea. I stopped drinking coffee over a year ago but this past winter wanted/needed something hot to drink. Since I am on a strick diet, hot chocolate (my first choice) was not an option. So tea, with either Splenda or stevia, has been my choice for a hot beverage. Besides, we're leaving for Britain in a few months so I might as well learn to like their beverage of choice!

[YOHABLO]

26. I don't drink hot tea. I do drink coffee but not extremely hot. What about drinking hot water?

Does that also cause esophageal cancer?

[IronLionZion]

27. Yes, it's the boiling hot heat

it irritates the esophagus, which over time increases the risk of cancer. Best to let it cool a bit before sipping

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. Sheesh. What's going to get me first?

The eggs, the booze, the tea, the....

[Bettie]

31. Well, perhaps my being a mom

and thus NEVER getting to eat or drink anything hot is good for me! LOL.

[backtoblue]

32. Well hell

I drink chamomile and peppermint tea daily. It helps with severe anxiety and also helped me to stop smoking.

I usually cool it down with a little milk, but I admit to sipping it as soon as I can tolerate it at times.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

33. What it does not tell you is exactly how many people

will actually get cancer if they drink very hot beverages. It does say that esophageal cancer is the 8th leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, with some 400,000 people dying from it every year. Keep in mind that number includes people who also get that cancer from all the other risk factors out there. And here's a list of those risk factors

Having gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Smoking
Having precancerous changes in the cells of the esophagus (Barrett's esophagus)
Being obese
Drinking alcohol
Having bile reflux
Having difficulty swallowing because of an esophageal sphincter that won't relax (achalasia)
Having a steady habit of drinking very hot liquids
Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
Undergoing radiation treatment to the chest or upper abdomen

Note how far down the list is "Having a steady habit of drinking very hot liquids".

And how many other risk factors are higher up on the list.

So if you enjoy really hot tea, go for it. Okay, so maybe you could let it cool down just a little bit, but I wouldn't give up hot tea based on this study.

[Meowmee]

35. This true for anything hot in temp including food

I only heat tea water to 200 on my kettle and then add cream and or an ice cube if needed if I drink it right away.