What is the link between very hot beverages and esophageal cancer?
Researchers from the University of Oxford found that people who prefer their drinks very hot were more than three times as likely to develop esophageal squamous cell carcinoma compared to those who prefer them warm. Additionally, consuming more than six hot drinks a day was associated with a 71 percent increase in the risk of esophageal cancer, regardless of the beverage’s temperature.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 980,000 adults in the United Kingdom, followed for over a decade. Participants recorded the temperature at which they preferred their drinks and the number of drinks they consumed daily. During the study period, 2,348 individuals developed esophageal cancer, including 1,045 cases of squamous cell carcinoma.
The researchers accounted for other risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity. They found no increased risk of adenocarcinoma, the other main type of esophageal cancer.
The study did not measure the actual temperature of the beverages but relied on participants’ estimates of how hot they were. Previous research indicates that drinks reaching approximately 70 degrees Celsius are considered very hot, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies beverages exceeding 65 degrees Celsius as “probably carcinogenic.”
Researchers suggested that high temperatures may cause repeated damage to esophageal cells, potentially contributing to cancer development, but emphasized the need for further research to precisely identify the temperatures associated with risk.
Fiona Osgood, from Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said the findings add to evidence linking the consumption of very hot drinks with an increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, noting that allowing a drink to cool slightly is a simple step that can be taken.
Professor Moayyedi of Queen Mary University of London warned against interpreting the results as proof that hot drinks directly cause cancer, clarifying that the study demonstrated an association rather than establishing a causal relationship.
