The World Health Organisation has warned that very hot drinks are a 'probable' cause of cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said drinks consumed at 65°C or above raise the risk of oesophageal cancer, which affects nearly 9,000 people annually in the UK.
British cancer experts urged people to let their hot drinks cool before drinking. Dr Christopher Wild, IARC director, said: 'These results suggest that drinking very hot beverages is one probable cause of oesophageal cancer and that it is the temperature, rather than the drinks themselves, that appears to be responsible.'
The IARC also found 'no conclusive evidence' that coffee itself causes cancer, reversing a 1991 classification linking coffee to bladder cancer. Reduced risks were seen for liver and womb cancers, while for over 20 other cancers evidence was inadequate.
Casey Dunlop of Cancer Research UK said: 'Most people in the UK don’t consume drinks at the temperatures considered in this research... So as long as you let your drink cool down a bit before you drink it, you’re unlikely to be much at risk.' Previous research suggests Britons prefer tea at 56-60°C, below the 65°C warning.
