Drinking hot tea can increase the risk of esophageal cancer- study

Drinking hot tea can increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer, which affects the tube connecting the throat to the stomach especially if you are a heavy drinker or smoker, a new study has found. 

Among people who regularly smoked cigarettes and drank at least one drink per day, drinking hot tea was linked to a five-times higher risk of developing esophageal cancer, compared to those who didn’t do any of those three habits. In people who didn’t have those two vices, however, drinking tea did not seem to have a significant effect on cancer development.  

But even those who don't touch alcohol or cigarettes appear to have a higher risk, researchers warned, but they stressed more tests are needed to assess how damaging it could be.  

The new study done by scientists in China found drinking tea heated to over 65C (149F) was associated with a five-fold increased risk for esophageal cancer when combined with excessive drinking or heavy smoking.  

The Chinese scientists said the link was 'biologically plausible' as thermal injury caused by the hot tea to the gullet lining impairing its ability to act as a barrier to harmful toxins from alcohol and smoking. 

Among Chinese adults who drank at least one beer, cocktail or glass of wine daily, those who also consumed burning hot tea every day were 5 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than people who drank tea at any temperature less than once a week, the study found. 

For current smokers, drinking scalding hot tea every day was associated with roughly twice the risk of esophageal cancer as consuming tea less than weekly.

Keeping away from both tobacco and excessive alcohol use is the most important means for esophageal cancer prevention,” said study coauthor Dr. Jun Lv of Peking University Health Science Center in China.

Under this increased risk of esophageal cancer from smoking and drinking alcohol, if people like drinking very hot tea, the risk of developing cancer will be synergistically higher,” Lv said by email.

But by itself, drinking hot tea doesn’t increase cancer risk, Lv said.