Regular consumption of hot tea and coffee increases the risk of stomach cancer, the study states.
Regular consumption of very hot tea and coffee may increase the risk of stomach cancer, a large prospective study has shown. The work was published in the journal Food & Function (F&F) and is based on observations of more than 328,000 participants in the UK Biobank over nearly 12 years.
Researchers analyzed not only the volume of beverages consumed but also the preferred temperature. It was found that individuals who drank more than eight cups of hot beverages a day had a 54 percent higher risk of developing stomach cancer compared to those who drank them rarely or preferred a warm temperature.
The most pronounced effect was observed in participants who regularly consumed very hot beverages. In this group, the risk more than doubled with the consumption of over eight cups a day, and the association remained after accounting for age, lifestyle, smoking, and other factors.
The authors note that chronic thermal irritation of the gastric mucosa may enhance inflammation and tissue damage, creating conditions for malignant changes. In their opinion, the results complement data on the harm of very hot beverages and point to a simple yet underestimated preventive factor — reducing the temperature of tea and coffee in the daily diet.
