Drinking coffee that is too hot can cause cancer

Coffee in particular and drinks in general, if too hot, will burn the esophagus. Repeatedly doing so can increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Coffee, a favorite drink of many people, is no longer on the World Health Organization (WHO)'s dangerous list. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) of WHO decided to put very hot water on the list of "possibly carcinogenic to humans".Specifically, drinks 65 degrees Celsius or higher will increase the risk of cancer in the esophagus.

Speaking with Live Science,clinical nutritionistAdriana Salmonat the Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas (USA) said that coffee, tea or drinks that are too hot "burn" the esophagus, harmful to esophageal cells similar to alcohol, the 8th most common cancer-causing agent in the world."Alcohol increases the risk of cancer because it damages the cells in the throat or esophagus," Salmon said. "So does drinking very hot drinks."

Drinks that are too hot can burn the esophagus and increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Photo: Live Science.

Professor Brant Oelschlager, a surgeon at the University of Washington, said the risk of esophageal cancer will increase if a person drinks hot coffee every morning. "The esophagus is constantly 'burned', the repeated trauma and regeneration of the mucosa easily form cancer," he explained.

Mariana Stern, one of the 23 IARC researchers, added that very hot drinks, when in contact with the esophagus, will damage cells, promote the growth of new cells, creating conditions for mutations that lead to tumors. However, she said that more research is needed before officially concluding that hot drinks lead to the deadly disease."The current hypothesis is that thermal injury to the esophageal mucosa may contribute to carcinogenesis. However, this remains unclear."

To protect your esophagus, Salmon recommends that you avoid drinking anything too hot: "Cold drinks are the best choice because it's summer, otherwise wait for the glass of water to cool down."

According to VNE