Can Drinking Piping Hot Tea and Coffee Raise Cancer Risk? Doctor Answers

For many people, starting the morning with a hot cup of tea or coffee is almost a daily ritual. But there is one habit worth reconsidering: drinking it while it is still piping hot. The concern is not that tea or coffee is inherently cancer-causing. Rather, research suggests that repeatedly consuming beverages at very high temperatures may increase the risk of cancer of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. This makes us question: can drinking piping hot coffee or tea cause cancer? This article will answer this for you.

To understand this better, we reached out to Dr Tushar Tayal, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon.

Can Drinking Piping Hot Tea and Coffee Raise Cancer Risk? 

Dr Tayal says that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research agency of the World Health Organization, has classified drinking beverages above 65°C as “probably carcinogenic to humans” in relation to oesophageal cancer. “Importantly, this classification relates to the temperature of the beverage, not to tea or coffee as drinks themselves,” he adds.

So, is tea or coffee itself causing cancer? Shedding light on this, the expert says, “This is where an important myth needs to be cleared up. There is no evidence to suggest that an ordinary cup of tea or coffee automatically increases cancer risk simply because it contains caffeine or other naturally occurring compounds. In fact, IARC found no conclusive evidence that drinking coffee itself causes cancer. Studies have also not established a clear association between ordinary tea or coffee consumption and oesophageal cancer.”

Dr Tayal further adds, “The concern is primarily thermal injury. When someone repeatedly swallows very hot liquids, the lining of the oesophagus can be exposed to repeated heat-related irritation and injury. Over many years, this chronic irritation may contribute to changes in the cells and potentially increase cancer risk. This does not mean that one accidentally hot sip will cause cancer. Cancer is a complex disease influenced by multiple factors, and temperature is only one possible risk factor.”

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Drinking Hot Brews: Is There an Ideal Temperature?

When it comes to the ideal temperature, Dr Tayal says that the widely cited scientific threshold is above 65°C. “IARC defines beverages consumed above this temperature as ‘very hot’. Studies from regions where tea or other beverages are traditionally consumed at around 70°C have found that oesophageal cancer risk tends to increase with higher drinking temperatures.”

The expert explains, “However, 65°C should not be interpreted as a magic safety line. There is no single temperature at which a person suddenly moves from ‘safe’ to ‘dangerous’. Drinking temperature, frequency, duration of exposure and other lifestyle factors, all of these matter.”

Dr Tayal further adds, “For everyday consumption, I would advise freshly prepared tea or coffee to cool until it is comfortably warm rather than painfully hot. As a practical precaution, keeping the drinking temperature below about 60°C, and preferably around 50–60°C; this provides a reasonable margin below the 65°C ‘very hot’ threshold, as identified by IARC.”

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How To Check The Ideal Temperature of a Drink? 

Dr Tayal says that a surprisingly useful indicator is the body's own warning system. “If the first sip makes the tongue or mouth feel as though it has been burnt, the drink is too hot to consume immediately,” he adds.

The expert further explains, “There is no need to rush through a cup simply because it has just been served. Allowing it to stand for a few minutes, transferring it into a wider cup, or adding a little cooler liquid can reduce its temperature considerably. The same principle applies to tea, coffee, herbal infusions, soups and other very hot liquids.”

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Who Should Avoid Piping Hot Drinks?

Dr Tayal says that people who regularly consume very hot beverages should reconsider the habit, particularly if they also have established risk factors for oesophageal cancer such as tobacco use or heavy alcohol consumption. “Smoking and alcohol remain major recognised risk factors for oesophageal cancer,” adds the expert.

He continues, “It is also important not to become unnecessarily fearful of an occasional hot drink. The evidence does not suggest that a person who occasionally drinks a hot cup of tea should assume they are at high risk of cancer.”

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Conclusion

The message is not to ‘stop drinking tea and coffee’. It is ‘stop drinking them while they are piping hot.’ For most people, allowing a freshly prepared drink to cool to a comfortably warm temperature before taking the first sip is a simple and sensible habit. There is no need to measure every cup with a thermometer, but beverages approaching or exceeding 65°C should be avoided, while keeping drinks roughly in the 50-60°C range is a practical precaution. So, the next time a steaming cup of tea or coffee arrives, waiting a few minutes may do more than protect the tongue from a burn. It may also be a small, sensible step towards protecting the oesophagus over the long term.