Advertisement
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) studied the relationship between drinking extremely hot beverages and its link to cancer development. Unfortunately, it was a positive correlation.
Drinking hot drinks – like coffee or tea – above 149⁰F, or 65⁰C, can contribute to a higher risk of developing esophagus cancer.
How hot is the beverage you’re drinking? The average cup of Joe you’d get from a standard coffee shop is served at a temperature hotter than 149⁰F (65⁰C).
The IRAC published their research and findings in The Lancet Oncology, stating that there was a positive correlation between individuals who consumed hot beverages and their risk of developing esophagus cancer. These scientists even went through the painstaking means of accounting for other cancer risks in their research.
But the conclusions remained sound. Regardless of other factors – cancer-causing or not – the consumption of hot liquids presented the risk of burning the soft tissue in the esophagus, causing damage that could lead to cells attempting to accomplish a quicker turnover rate, which could, in turn, develop into an out-of-control growth rate.
The IRAC, however, was careful to iron out the nuances in its study.
Coffee, itself, is not yet considered a carcinogen. In fact, some studies have suggested that coffee actually lowers the risk of developing certain types of cancer, like that of the liver and uterus.
This most recent study targets not specifically coffee, but rather, the temperature of the coffee (or tea) that is being consumed and potentially scalding the esophagus. Coffee drinkers can relax and breathe easy.
Just remember to breathe a little more before you start drinking that coffee.
