Drinking 'Very' Hot Tea or Coffee Could Triple Your Risk of This Cancer, Huge Study Finds
A large-scale study involving nearly one million participants suggests that consuming beverages at 'very hot' temperatures is linked to a significantly higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The findings indicate that the temperature of tea and coffee may be a more critical factor for cancer risk than previously understood in Western populations.
Why it matters
This research provides actionable health guidance for millions of daily coffee and tea drinkers regarding potential long-term cancer risks associated with beverage temperature.
Plenty of people like to start their day with a cup of tea or coffee , but the temperature of your preferred beverage could matter a lot more than you realize .
A decade ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) made headlines when it classified very hot beverages at temperatures above 65 °C (149 °F) as "probably carcinogenic to humans" .
That 2016 finding followed evidence that mate , a herbal drink popular in South America and often drunk at very hot temperatures, was associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer .
Mate is typically consumed at temperatures as high as 70 °C (158 °F), but until now, the evidence for hot beverages consumed at cooler temperatures was inconclusive.
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