Very hot drinks may damage the food pipe and increase cancer risk

• The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified drinking "very hot" beverages (>65°C) as a probable carcinogen (Group 2A), associated with approximately threefold increased oesophageal cancer risk compared to warm drinks
• The carcinogenic mechanism appears to be thermal injury to oesophageal mucosa rather than the beverage content itself, meaning the temperature rather than tea or coffee causes the risk
• Clinicians should counsel patients, particularly in high-risk populations (certain regions with cultural preferences for very hot drinks), to allow beverages to cool before consumption as a simple preventive measure

A study found people who had their drinks "very hot" had around a three times higher risk of the cancer than "warm" tea or coffee drinkers.

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