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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDrinking very hot tea almost doubles risk of cancer, new study says
(CNN)Many people start their day with a cup of tea. But those who drink it piping hot could be increasing their risk of esophageal cancer, according to a new study.
Researchers found that tea drinkers who liked their beverage to be warmer than 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) and consumed more than 700 ml of tea per day -- about two large cups -- had a 90% higher risk of esophageal cancer, when compared to those who drank less tea and at cooler temperatures.
The study looked at more than 50,000 people in Golestan, a province in northeastern Iran.
"Many people enjoy drinking tea, coffee, or other hot beverages. However, according to our report, drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of esophageal cancer, and it is therefore advisable to wait until hot beverages cool down before drinking," said Dr. Farhad Islami, of the American Cancer Society and the study's lead author.
Previous research has found a link between hot tea drinking and esophageal cancer. This study, published Wednesday in the International Journal of Cancer, was the first to pinpoint a specific temperature, according to the authors.
I always let it cool considerably before sipping but sometimes one can be in a rush.
Blaukraut
(5,693 posts)HipChick
(25,485 posts)Biggest tea drinkers...sample set would be so much better
IronLionZion
(45,442 posts)Same with coffee in the Americas. Any hot drink really.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)main drink of the Middle East and Asia. Good place for such a study.
Response to Skidmore (Reply #21)
Mosby This message was self-deleted by its author.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)...then it might be worth knowing what is the most common plant used to make "tea" in Golestan, Iran, since the chemical composition might have something to do with the different effects of temperature.
a kennedy
(29,663 posts)or just drink it at 100 degrees or so........
msongs
(67,406 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,346 posts)Celsius is socialism!
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)That says something causes cancer, or fights cancer, or WTF-ever.
Alcohol is good for you in moderate quantities. Then any alcohol is bad for you.
This, or that is good for you, until another study says it is bad for you.
We are told to listen to the experts, but even the experts disagree.
Response to MicaelS (Reply #8)
Mosby This message was self-deleted by its author.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)Arazi
(6,829 posts)Javaman
(62,530 posts)good tea, real tea must be steeped before drinking.
During that time, the temp comes down.
LuvNewcastle
(16,846 posts)I guess maybe they boil it in some parts of the world, but I've never seen it done that way.
DesertRat
(27,995 posts)More from the link:
Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that it was the heat that was the issue rather than the type of beverage.
"In fact, it is probably anything hot: Microwaved jam has been known to cause esophageal injury. It is possible that the trauma leads to cell changes and hence to cancer," he told the Science Media Centre. Evans was not involved in the study.
In the United States and Europe, tea is rarely consumed at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius (149 degrees Fahrenheit) -- but in places like Russia, Iran, Turkey and South America, it is common to drink tea that hot or even hotter.
Drahthaardogs
(6,843 posts)Just like chronic irritation can promote cancer. Why people find this surprising is beyond me.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)2 boys, 18 months apart kept me hopping, and I learned to eat/drink stuff that was cold.
seriously.
Used to take a travel mug of not very warm strong coffee ( milk and sugar) and make it last almost the whole day.
Wonder if they are gonna find ice cold drinks will do you in?
IronLionZion
(45,442 posts)but not as bad as cancer
aikoaiko
(34,170 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I do like hot tea from time to time, but I usually put milk in it and it needs to cool down a bit before I can drink it. I like it somewhere between warm and almost hot.
Loki Liesmith
(4,602 posts)Heat kills cells. Cells multiply to replace. Increased reproductive rate increases probability of a cancer.
Maru Kitteh
(28,340 posts)Sanity Claws
(21,849 posts)IronLionZion
(45,442 posts)the researchers in this article just want us to lower the temperature of very hot drinks. I can do that.
Maru Kitteh
(28,340 posts)OUCH.
Yeah, I have a cup of tea now and then but not THAT hot. I'm good.
IronLionZion
(45,442 posts)it cools pretty fast while steeping but I can't say I actually measure the temperature before taking a sip.
csziggy
(34,136 posts)The only time I like really hot tea is when my nose is stuffed up and I will be drinking Bigelow's Mint Medley or Bigelow's Lemon Ginger - neither of which are really "tea" but are herbal infusions. With both of those, I like getting the flavored steam into my nose to sooth it and help open up my sinuses.
I've recently taken up drinking tea. I stopped drinking coffee over a year ago but this past winter wanted/needed something hot to drink. Since I am on a strick diet, hot chocolate (my first choice) was not an option. So tea, with either Splenda or stevia, has been my choice for a hot beverage. Besides, we're leaving for Britain in a few months so I might as well learn to like their beverage of choice!
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Does that also cause esophageal cancer?
IronLionZion
(45,442 posts)it irritates the esophagus, which over time increases the risk of cancer. Best to let it cool a bit before sipping
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,457 posts)The eggs, the booze, the tea, the....
Bettie
(16,109 posts)and thus NEVER getting to eat or drink anything hot is good for me! LOL.
backtoblue
(11,343 posts)I drink chamomile and peppermint tea daily. It helps with severe anxiety and also helped me to stop smoking.
I usually cool it down with a little milk, but I admit to sipping it as soon as I can tolerate it at times.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,857 posts)will actually get cancer if they drink very hot beverages. It does say that esophageal cancer is the 8th leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, with some 400,000 people dying from it every year. Keep in mind that number includes people who also get that cancer from all the other risk factors out there. And here's a list of those risk factors
Having gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Smoking
Having precancerous changes in the cells of the esophagus (Barrett's esophagus)
Being obese
Drinking alcohol
Having bile reflux
Having difficulty swallowing because of an esophageal sphincter that won't relax (achalasia)
Having a steady habit of drinking very hot liquids
Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
Undergoing radiation treatment to the chest or upper abdomen
Note how far down the list is "Having a steady habit of drinking very hot liquids".
And how many other risk factors are higher up on the list.
So if you enjoy really hot tea, go for it. Okay, so maybe you could let it cool down just a little bit, but I wouldn't give up hot tea based on this study.
Meowmee
(5,164 posts)I only heat tea water to 200 on my kettle and then add cream and or an ice cube if needed if I drink it right away.