The EXACT temperature to make your daily brew after piping hot drinks linked to ‘triple cancer risk’

Credit: Getty DO you like your tea and coffee lukewarm, or so hot it scalds your tongue? If it’s the latter, new research warns you could be upping your risk of throat cancer. Medical records from nearly one million Brits found people who drank their beverage “very hot” were up to three times more likely to develop oesophageal cancer, due to scorching liquid damaging cells in their mouth and food pipe. So what temperature should you be sipping your daily brew at? Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! The Oxford University study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, deems any drink that’s 65 degrees Celsius or more as “very hot” – posing a potential cancer risk. Water out of a freshly boiled kettle is touching boiling point, which is 100C. Once poured into a cup to make tea or coffee, the temperature falls to around 90 or 95C, which is much too hot to drink. Research suggests the ideal drinking temperature for hot drinks is about 60C. Meanwhile, takeaway cup manufacturer MTPak Coffee suggests the ideal temperature for the brew is between 49 and 60C. But save from breaking out a thermometer, how can you tell when your tea or coffee is safe to drink? Most read in Health Oesophageal cancer can cause trouble swallowing and heartburn Credit: Alamy Symptoms of oesophageal cancer They may include: Difficulty, pain or a burning sensation when swallowing – food may stick in the throat Unexplained weight loss Indigestion or heartburn that don’t go away Pain in your throat or behind your breastbone Food coming back up A cough that won’t go away A raspy or croaky voice Coughing up blood Dark or black poo, caused by cancer making the oesophagus bleed Hiccups that keep coming back Tiredness for no obvious reason Source: CRUK Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer Research UK (CRUK), said: “There is a simple step people can take – let a cuppa cool down a little before taking a sip.” It’ll probably take about 10 or 15 minutes for freshly boiled water to fall to about 60C. Your brew should be “comfortable to drink” rather than burning your tongue, according to CRUK. Adding a splash of milk can also help temper the hot liquid, the study authors said. CRUK estimates six out of ten cases of oesophageal cancer are avoidable. The study suggests 14 per cent of cases could be prevented if people stopped scalding their throats on drinks. Study author Dr Keren Papier said: “This is the largest study to look at this question in a UK population, where many people drink tea and coffee daily. “It adds to existing evidence that drinking very hot drinks could increase the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. “More research is now needed to identify the exact drink temperatures linked to this increased risk.” Oesophageal cancer develops in the food pipe in the throat and affects about 9,500 people every year, killing 7,900. It is relatively rare but Cancer Research UK said there is a clear link to burns in the throat. The research focused specifically on squamous cell oesophageal cancer, which develops in cells making up the inner lining of the oesophagus. It’s slightly less common than adenocarcinoma, which develops in the gland cells of the throat and is linked to acid reflux – when acid from the stomach rises up the throat. However, the biggest risk factors for oesophageal cancer are actually smoking and drinking alcohol. These behaviours are much more likely to cause the disease than quaffing down hot drinks. Fiona said: “The most important ways to reduce the risk of this cancer type are not smoking and cutting down on alcohol.” Comment now