That familiar comfort feels almost like a daily ritual, but what if the very heat that makes it so soothing could be quietly harming us? Recent findings have stirred up concern over whether drinking beverages that are too hot could raise the risk of cancer, sparking curiosity among tea and coffee lovers everywhere.

We spoke to Dr Hitesh Singhavi, Consultant - Head and Neck Oncosurgery, KIMS Hospitals, Thane, who answered if consuming hot beverages could give you cancer and what you should know.

Here’s the query disarmed: it’s not coffee, tea, or any particular drink causing concern; it’s their scalding temperature.

In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of WHO, classified ‘very hot beverages’ (around 65°C/ 149°F and above) as probably carcinogenic to humans, putting them in Group 2A alongside things like red meat or indoor wood smoke, but not because of the beverage itself, but because its temperature may harm the oesophageal lining.

IARC’s classification is about the strength of evidence, not how dangerous it is in daily life. Most of the human studies behind this conclusion are from regions where people traditionally drink ultra-hot beverages, like South America (mate), parts of Asia, and the Middle East.

Source:Onlymyhealth