Here’s what to know.
Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN
Most of us have a strong opinion about how we like our tea or coffee. Some people want it piping hot the second it hits the mug. Others let it sit until it’s cozy but not scorching, and some like it ice-cold. Beyond preferences, a large new study out of the UK hints that this small detail might matter more than you’d think for your health, and the results were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
The research doesn’t say your daily cup is dangerous. But it does point to a link worth knowing about, especially if you tend to sip your drinks while they’re still scalding.
Researchers pulled data from two of the biggest health studies in the UK: the Million Women Study and UK Biobank. Together, that’s nearly 980,000 adults, which makes this the largest look at hot drinks and esophageal cancer to date.
Participants answered questions about how they liked to drink their tea and coffee. They chose from options like “very hot,” “hot” or “warm,” and they reported how many cups they had each day. Researchers then followed these adults for years, using national health records to track who developed esophageal cancer.
On average, people were followed for about 11 to 14 years. During that time, 2,348 cases of esophageal cancer were recorded. Because the two main types of esophageal cancer don’t behave the same way, researchers studied them separately.
After analyzing the available data, the researchers found that the temperature of your drink seemed to matter, but only for one type of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
People who preferred “very hot” drinks were associated with a three-fold greater risk of SCC compared with those who liked their drinks “warm.” The pattern appeared to hold steady, as hotter beverages were associated with higher risk levels. But remember, esophageal cancer is one of the rarer kinds of cancer, so the risk went from affecting slightly more than one in 1,000 people to about three in 1,000.
The volume of hot drinks played a role too—drinking six or more hot beverages a day was tied to a 71% higher risk of SCC compared with drinking fewer than six, even after accounting for temperature. That means those who drank fewer hot drinks had a one in 1,000 chance of squamous cell carcinoma, while those who drank more than six per day had a more than two in 1,000 chance.
But there is some reassuring news, too. Neither temperature nor volume was meaningfully linked to the other main type of esophageal cancer, called esophageal adenocarcinoma. And it didn’t matter whether people mostly drank tea or coffee, which suggests heat itself is the likely culprit, not any specific ingredient. Adding milk didn’t change the picture much either.
The researchers estimated that if people who drink “very hot” beverages switched to “hot” instead, about 14% of SCC cases might be avoided. In the UK, that works out to roughly 440 cases a year.
While the study suggests some compelling points, it does have some real limitations. The biggest one is that temperature was self-reported. Nobody measured how hot anyone’s drink actually was. One person’s “very hot” could be another person’s “hot,” and those perceptions vary from person to person and even over time.
The study is also observational. That means it can show a link between hot drinks and cancer risk, but it can’t prove that heat directly causes it. Other factors could play a part, though the researchers did adjust for things like smoking and alcohol. It’s also worth keeping the numbers in perspective. Esophageal cancer is fairly rare, so even a tripled relative risk still represents a small chance for any one person. A big jump in a small number is still a small number.
The takeaway here is refreshingly simple: let your drink cool down a bit before you sip if you are concerned about your esophageal cancer risk. While drinking hot beverages won’t guarantee development of this condition, limiting or avoiding them may help lower your chances.
Nobody is taking away your cup of joe or spot of tea, but you might want to reconsider drinking your hot beverage the instant it’s poured. Giving it a few minutes to cool lowers the temperature hitting your esophagus, potentially keeping you from higher cancer odds down the line. (Waiting a few minutes might also keep you from burning your tongue—a win-win.)
None of this requires a lifestyle overhaul, but this small tweak to your sipping habits could be helpful later on.
A large study published in the International Journal of Cancer followed nearly 1 million UK adults over more than a decade, and researchers found that very hot drinks were linked to a higher risk of one type of esophageal cancer. The overall risk remains small because the cancer itself is rare.
The take-away message is easy to act on: enjoy your tea and coffee, but give them a moment to cool before you take that first sip.
