Drinking hot tea may cause throat cancer

Drinking hot tea may cause throat cancer, and new research suggests people let their steaming drink cool before consuming them.

Previous studies have linked tobacco and alcohol with cancer of the oesophagus, and the Iranian research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that scalding beverages may also pave the way for such tumours.

Drinking very hot tea at a temperature of greater than 70 degrees Celsius was associated with an eight-fold increased risk of throat cancer compared to sipping warm or lukewarm tea at less than 65 degrees, the researchers write.

British studies have reported people prefer their tea at an average temperature of 56 degrees to 60 degrees, the researchers note.

It is not clear how hot tea might cause cancer, but one idea is that repeated thermal injury to the lining of the throat somehow initiates it, say the researchers.