Drinking hot coffee doubles the risk of cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study suggests that drinking hot tea and coffee doubles the risk of esophageal cancer, adding that too hot drinks can cause tumors of the mouth and damage the lining of the esophagus. mouth and throat.

A study of more than 50,000 people found that people who drank a cup of tea at 60 ° C were 90% more likely to develop cancer, 2.4 times more likely than those who drank regularly at 75 ° C.

According to the British newspaper Mirror, their discoveries on tea will apply to other drinks, including coffee or hot chocolate.

"Many people like to drink tea, coffee or other hot drinks, but drinking too hot tea can increase the risk of esophageal cancer." It is therefore advisable to wait until the Hot drinks cool down, "said Dr. Farhad al-Islami, one of the leading authors of the American Cancer Society. .

The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, examined the drinking patterns of 40- to 75-year-olds living in northeastern Iran and recorded 317 new cases of esophageal cancer in 2004. to 2017.

According to this study, the first of its kind to confirm the link between hot drinks and illness through the follow-up of many people for a long time, it mainly affects people aged sixty to seventy and men are more vulnerable than the women.

Symptoms of the disease may include dyspnea related to swallowing or persistent indigestion or heartburn, food emergence soon after ingestion, loss of appetite, weight loss or pain at the top of the stomach. abdomen, chest or back.

The researchers collected information on the waiting time between drunk and drunk tea and on the taste of hot, lukewarm, very hot or very hot, and prepared two cups of fresh tea at a time. one for the participant and the other for the interview, to measure the temperature using a digital thermometer.

The researchers gave tea during the interview at 75 ° C for the participants to take a sip and record the temperature they prefer.

"This study adds to the evidence that drinking over 60 degrees Celsius may increase the risk of esophageal cancer," said Georgina Hill, health information officer at the British Center for Disease Control. cancer research. "Most British citizens do not drink tea – this level of temperature.

"As long as you let the tea cool a bit before you drink it or add cold milk, it is unlikely that you will increase your risk of cancer," she said. "Do not smoke, maintain a healthy weight and reduce alcohol limits the disease," she said.

In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization, ranked the consumption of very hot drinks at more than 65 degrees Celsius among potentially carcinogenic substances.