Hot Tea & Cancer Risk
Here “very hot” means 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is extremely hot. The notion that drinking tea at that temperature could cause cancer of the esophagus has been kicking around for some years. Evidence that it actually can comes from a study that included 50,045 people aged 40 to 75 in the Golestan Province of northern Iran. The study participants, who all drank hot tea as part of their daily routine, were followed for 10 years. Investigators noted that 317 of them developed esophageal cancer during that time and reported that, compared with drinking three cups of tea per day at less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, drinking three or more cups at the higher temperature was associated with a 90 percent higher risk of esophageal cancer. The study also showed that participants who waited less than two minutes after their tea was poured to drink it were 1.51 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than those who waited for six minutes or more. In addition to drinking very hot tea, other risk factors for esophageal cancer include smoking and alcohol use as well as gastric reflux.
Source:
Farhad Islami et al, “A prospective study of tea drinking temperature and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.” International Journal of Cancer, March 20, 2019; DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32220
Also in this week’s bulletin:
- Sugar Sweetened Drinks Are Killing You
- How Menopause Affects Women’s Fat
- Recipe: Broccoli Or Cauliflower With Soy-Lemon Dressing
