How do you like to drink your tea in the morning? Very hot or rather cold? With a spoonful of sugar or without adding anything? With milk or just water? In a bag or natural? If we asked your friends, I’m sure none of them would agree with your tastes, because when it comes to having tea there are no universal opinions, each one prepares it in their own way. But is there any that is right and best for our health? Yes, drinking very hot tea can be harmful.
Drinking hot tea can cause esophageal cancer
- According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, published by the American College of Physicians, drinking hot tea can lead to esophageal cancer. The chances of suffering from this disease increase when the person who consumes it is also a smoker and habitual drinker of alcohol.
- The esophagus is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach. There are two types of esophageal cancer; adenocarcinomas, derived from glandular cells, and carcinoma, derived from the squamous cells that line the esophagus. The latter is the most common at present, but its incidence has decreased remarkably in recent years.
- Drinking very hot tea can damage the cells lining the esophagus, increasing the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. But it is not the only risk, as the above mentioned facts, smoking, drinking alcohol and having Barrett’s esophagus are also other triggers. Esophageal cancer is manifested by sudden weight loss and severe pain in the throat when trying to swallow.
- Perhaps after reading this information, the next time you sit in front of a cup of tea, you will wait a few seconds for it to cool down and savor it calmer.