Study links hot tea to esophageal cancer

“The Tea Council of the USA confidently reiterates that tea is associated with more health benefits than harm.”

Peter F. Goggi President of the Tea Association of the USA

Drinking hot tea, when combined with heavy alcohol and tobacco use, increases the risk of esophageal cancer by fivefold, according to a recently published study.

The China-based study published online Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine followed tea drinking habits of more than 450,000 people between 30 to 79 years old over about 9 years.

Findings suggest that those who reported drinking “hot” or “burning-hot” tea regularly, in addition to “excessively” drinking alcohol or smoking (two already known causes of cancer) increase their chances of developing esophageal cancer. Excessive drinking was defined as having 15 grams of pure alcohol (slightly more than a 12-ounce glass of beer or 5 ounce glass of wine) every day and excessive smoking was having one or more cigarettes per day.

Researchers noted more studies are needed to confirm these findings and tea’s possible link to cancer.

The National Natural Science Foundation of China and National Key Research and Development Program funded the study.

Peter F. Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the USA, released a statement following the findings, pointing to tea’s health benefits, including research suggesting it could actually prevent cancer.