If you cannot imagine your morning without a sip of very hot tea, it is better to wait for it to cool down a little. Over 9 years of research have confirmed that drinking hot tea increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, including those who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol every day. This cancer is the eighth most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world, and about 400 people die from it every year.
Although in Europe and North America we are not used to drinking excessively hot coffee or tea, it is definitely more common in the exotic regions of South America, the Middle East and East Africa. Both smoking and drinking alcohol are already widely known to be associated with esophageal cancer, but a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that very hot tea may increase the risk of developing it.
They also observed a similar relationship among smokers. Regular drinking of hot tobacco in combination with smoking increases the risk of getting sick twice.
About 9000 people in the UK are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year. Disease rates are relatively high in China, where tea drinking is common and many men smoke.
– In order to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer development, it is recommended to consume lukewarm drinks and food, e.g. soups, as hot ones damage the esophageal mucosa. Regular consumption of hot liquids in combination with smoking and alcohol, in particular, can accelerate the development of this cancer – says Hanna Stolińska-Fiedorowicz, a nutritionist from the Institute of Food and Nutrition, in an interview with MedTvoiLokony.
Esophageal cancer – what is it?
Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common neoplastic disease. In Poland, the number of cases in men is almost four times higher than in women. The risk of developing this cancer increases after the age of 50, peaking in the age range of 60-70 years. The treatment options and effects depend on how early it is diagnosed. Esophageal cancer, like most cancers, likely occurs due to adverse environmental influences and dietary habits. The development of this cancer is fostered by excessive drinking of high-percentage alcohol and smoking (especially when started at an early age). These risk factors, as doctors call it, account for 80-90% of esophageal cancers. The disease is also favored by an improper diet, which should be understood as frequent use of spicy spices, drinking hot drinks, deficiencies of vitamins A, B2, C, E, trace elements, including zinc, magnesium, molybdenum and manganese. People who have had mechanical injuries of the esophagus, have been subjected to chemical or thermal burns are also at risk of the disease. But cancer can also develop in people who are infected with the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. In 5-12 percent of cases, esophageal cancer can coexist with other cancers, e.g. cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, lung, kidney, bladder (this cancer is classified as a tobacco-dependent cancer).
Check: The innocent beginnings of a dangerous disease – the risk of esophageal cancer