ISLAMABAD: A recent research study has made the health risks from drinking very hot tea and coffee a topic of discussion, and one of the concerns is the potential link to oesophageal cancer. Hot beverages, during winter in particular, are widely consumed, but the significant increase in the risk of this possibly fatal cancer that could result from these beverages at extremely high temperatures is what research reveals.
The studies performed in different nations noticed that the people who drank tea or coffee at temperatures more than 65°C (149°F) are at a greater risk of developing cancer in the oesophagus than those who drink these drinks at moderate temperatures. The specialists argue that the patient’s drinks can cause damage to the internal toughest part of the oesophagus and that could inflammation of the area becoming chronic. This may in the course of time lead to cell death with or without the possibility of cancers gaining more of their kind.
The connection has not been definitively established as the only one responsible for oesophageal cancer but the World Health Organization (WHO) has already acknowledged hotter than hot drinks as a potential carcinogen. After the dissemination of this fact, it has been the health professionals most concerned who have been the most active in creating public awareness of the need to cool down their drinks.
Moreover, other research works have pointed out that drinking and suchlike moderately and at cooler temperatures can be linked to the reduced risk of few cancers in the head and neck region like throat cancers. However, the scientists warn that these findings are only tentative and more studies need to be done to elaborate on the whole scenario surrounding the long-term effects of hot drinks on cancer risk.
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