Very Hot Tea and Coffee Linked to Higher Risk of a Type of Esophageal Cancer, Large Study Finds

Research involving nearly 1 million adults suggests that drinking beverages very hot may increase the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

By EEW Magazine Online Health & Wellness Editors

Researchers found that people who prefer their drinks very hot had a higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

For many people, a steaming cup of tea or coffee is part of the daily routine, and new research suggests the temperature of that cup may matter for long-term health. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that adults who preferred their beverages “very hot” had more than three times the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma as those who preferred their drinks “warm.”

The findings, published Sept. 8 in the International Journal of Cancer, add to evidence that repeated exposure to very hot liquids may harm the lining of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food and liquids from the throat to the stomach.

The researchers examined data from 977,282 participants in two major British health studies, the Million Women Study and UK Biobank. Participants reported how hot they liked their beverages and how many cups of tea and coffee they drank each day. Researchers then tracked cancer diagnoses through national health records for an average of 11 years in UK Biobank and 14 years in the Million Women Study, according to News-Medical.

During that time, 2,348 participants developed esophageal cancer, including 1,045 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, which begins in the flat cells lining the esophagus.

The risk rose with preferred drinking temperature. Participants who described their drinks as “hot” had a 69% higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma than those who preferred them warm. For those who preferred drinks “very hot,” the risk was about 3.2 times as high.

Frequency was measured as well. People who drank six or more cups of tea or coffee a day had a 71% higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma than those who drank fewer, even after researchers accounted for preferred temperature. Tea and coffee drinkers showed similar patterns. The researchers found no meaningful link between drink temperature and esophageal adenocarcinoma, the other major form of the disease.

The findings point to repeated heat injury as a likely explanation. Very hot liquids can damage the delicate lining of the esophagus, forcing cells to repair and regenerate. Over time, that repeated injury may contribute to changes involved in cancer development. Earlier animal studies have supported the theory.

Scientists have studied the connection for years. In 2016, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified drinking beverages hotter than 149 degrees Fahrenheit, or 65 degrees Celsius, as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Much of the earlier evidence came from regions where very hot drinks are traditional, including South America and parts of Asia and Africa. The Oxford study extends that research to everyday drinking habits in Britain.

The study has important limits. It relied on participants’ own descriptions of how hot they liked their drinks. Researchers did not measure actual beverage temperatures, so they could not pin down the temperature at which risk begins. The findings raise the possibility that risk extends below the 149-degree threshold, though more research is needed to establish where it starts.

As an observational study, the research also cannot prove that hot beverages cause cancer. The association held among people who had never smoked and those who drank little alcohol, two groups in which other major risk factors are less likely to explain the results.

Muy-Teck Teh, a professor of molecular oral oncology at Queen Mary University of London who was not involved in the study, described the findings as “robust associations rather than causal proof,” according to the Science Media Centre. He noted that the absolute risk of the disease in the U.K. is low and that temperature is a relatively minor factor compared with smoking, alcohol, obesity and acid reflux.

If the link is causal, about 14% of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases in Britain could be prevented, the researchers estimated. That’s roughly 440 cases a year, if people who prefer very hot drinks switched to drinks that are simply hot.

In the United States, esophageal cancer accounts for about 1% of all cancer diagnoses. The American Cancer Society estimates 22,530 new cases will be diagnosed in 2026.

The findings carry particular relevance for Black Americans because the types of esophageal cancer diagnosed differ across racial groups. A 2024 analysis of U.S. cancer registry data covering diagnoses from 2004 through 2020 found a sharp difference. Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for 78% of esophageal cancer cases among Black patients, compared with 25% among White patients. The British study did not examine whether beverage temperature carries different risks across racial groups.

Letting tea or coffee cool for a few minutes before drinking is one simple precaution.

For regular tea and coffee drinkers, the research offers a practical reason to pay attention to temperature. Dr. Sripathi Kethu, a gastroenterologist, told Everyday Health that a useful guide is whether a drink can be held comfortably in the mouth before swallowing. Letting freshly brewed tea or coffee cool for a few minutes, adding a splash of cool milk or checking with a thermometer can all help.

The overall likelihood of developing esophageal cancer remains low, and the findings point to a potentially avoidable exposure in an everyday habit. Giving a hot drink a little more time to cool may be one of the simplest precautions tea and coffee lovers can take.

This article provides general health information and does not replace individualized medical advice.