For millions of people, the day doesn't feel complete without a steaming cup of tea or coffee. But if you regularly drink your favourite beverage while it is still extremely hot, you may want to give it some time to cool.

Research suggests that the concern isn't necessarily tea or coffee itself, but the temperature at which it is consumed. Repeated exposure to very hot liquids may damage the lining of the esophagus, or food pipe, and could be associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

A large study involving nearly one million participants examined the relationship between hot beverage consumption and cancer risk. The findings highlight why allowing tea, coffee and other hot drinks to cool before consuming them may be a sensible precaution.

Why Can Very Hot Drinks Be Harmful?

Tea and coffee are commonly prepared using water close to boiling temperature. Even after being poured into a cup, the beverage can remain extremely hot for some time.

Regularly exposing the delicate lining of the esophagus to very high temperatures may cause repeated thermal injury. Researchers have investigated whether this repeated damage could contribute to changes that increase the risk of esophageal cancer over time.

Importantly, the potential concern relates to drinking temperature rather than tea or coffee being inherently cancer-causing.

What Did the Research Find?

The study included 977,282 men and women and examined consumption of tea, coffee and several other beverages.

Researchers found evidence supporting an association between drinking very hot beverages and a higher risk of esophageal cancer. The findings add to previous research examining how repeated heat exposure may affect the food pipe.

However, such observational findings show an association and do not prove that drinking a very hot beverage directly causes cancer in an individual.

How Hot Is Too Hot?

Research on very hot beverages commonly focuses on temperatures around or above 65°C as potentially concerning.

That doesn't mean you need to check every cup with a thermometer. A practical approach is to allow freshly prepared tea, coffee or another hot beverage to cool until it can be consumed comfortably without burning the mouth or throat.

If a drink feels uncomfortably hot, waiting a little longer before taking the first sip is the safer choice.

What Did Researchers Say?

Lead researcher Dr. Karen Papier noted that similar associations have previously been observed in South America, where some populations traditionally consume herbal beverages at very high temperatures.

These findings support the possibility that heat itself, rather than a particular type of drink, may be an important factor.

Researchers have also stressed that additional studies are needed to better understand the relationship and determine exactly how beverage temperature influences cancer risk.

Another Study Examined Comfortable Coffee Temperatures

Separate research involving 118 adults looked at how people perceived black coffee served at different temperatures.

Most participants considered coffee at temperatures of around 70°C or higher to be too hot. This suggests that allowing a freshly prepared beverage to cool can make it both more comfortable and potentially safer to consume.

Could Avoiding Very Hot Drinks Reduce Cancer Risk?

Researchers have estimated that avoiding very hot beverages could potentially prevent a proportion of esophageal cancer cases. However, cancer risk is influenced by many factors, so temperature should not be considered the only cause or preventive measure.

Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, certain medical conditions and other lifestyle or health-related issues can also influence the risk of esophageal cancer.

Watch Out for Possible Symptoms

Esophageal cancer may cause symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, persistent indigestion or heartburn, pain in the throat or chest, and unexplained weight loss.

These symptoms can also occur with many non-cancerous conditions. However, persistent or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional rather than ignored.

The Bottom Line

You don't necessarily have to give up your daily tea or coffee. The important thing is to avoid drinking it while it is extremely hot.

Allow freshly prepared beverages to cool until they are comfortably drinkable. Research suggests that repeatedly consuming very hot drinks may damage the esophagus and is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.

So, when your next cup of tea or coffee arrives piping hot, waiting a few minutes before taking that first sip could be a simple and sensible precaution.