Key Points

FOR MANY PEOPLE, a steaming cup of tea and coffee isn't just a drink — it's a comfort. Whether as a source of energy to start off their day or as a nightcap for a cozy sleep, people often cherish their hot drinks which is some sort of a sacred ritual for them. Many people brag about liking their drinks scalding hot — the more burn it leaves inside, the better. But scientists have warned that these drinks pose a major health risk  — cancer. A recent study has found out that people consuming “very hot” drinks stand at an increased risk of getting oesophageal cancer. 

What did the study reveal?

The research study, conducted by University of Oxford in 2026, evaluated around 9.8 lakh people for more than 10 years to assess whether their preferred beverage temperature was associated with oesophageal cancer.

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They found that people who prefer their beverages “very hot” — at a temperature of about 65 degree celsius — may face nearly three times the risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a type of cancer that affects the food pipe. This large-scale study adds to earlier evidence suggesting that repeated exposure of the oesophagus to extremely high temperatures may damage its lining.

The researchers also highlighted that the study did not find the same correlation between hot drinks and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AC), another major type of oesophageal cancer that originates in mucus-producing glandular cells at the bottom of the food pipe.

The researchers stated:

What's worth noting is that the findings do not suggest that consumption of tea or coffee is what causes oesophageal cancer. Instead, researchers focused on the temperature at which these beverages are consumed. The study found that the risk increased as the temperature of drinks rose, while consuming hot beverages more frequently was also linked to a higher risk.

“Consumption of drinks at a ‘very hot’ versus ‘warm’ temperature was associated with a threefold greater SCC risk but not with AC risk, after adjustment for consumption frequency”, according to the study, which was published on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in the International Journal of Cancer.

“After controlling for drink temperature, daily consumption of six or more versus fewer than six hot drinks was associated with a 71% increase in SCC risk, with little association with AC risk”, said researchers. The study was led by Dr Keren Papier, a senior nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford’s population health department.

The researchers also found that the frequency of consumption played a crucial role. Those who drank six or more hot beverages daily had a 71% higher risk than people who consumed fewer hot drinks. However, the study emphasized that temperature appeared to be a more important factor.

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How does ‘very hot drinks’ affect oesophagus and pose cancer risk?

Oesophagus, more commonly known as the food pipe, is the long muscular tube connecting the mouth to the stomach that transports food and liquids. Very hot drinks expose this tube to high temperatures, which can cause injuries to the oesophagus's inner lining. If a person continues to consume drinks at very high temperature, and does so multiple times a day, it can cause  inflammation inside the food pipe and lead to cellular change. These repeated injuries are thought to make the tissue more susceptible to cancerous changes.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has previously given similar advice, warning that drinking very hot beverages—generally defined as those above 65 degrees Celsius—, as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” This new study and its findings, which was conducted on a very large scale, provide further evidence for this association.

(Edited by Agniva Ray)

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