Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer … tea has many benefits… when it’s drunk the right way! According to a study published in theInternational Journal of Cancer on March 20, consuming their drink while it is still too hot would increase their risk of developing esophageal cancer. The French and Iranian researchers in charge of the research even established the temperature from which the dangers appear: 60 ° C.
90% higher risk
To arrive at these results, the scientists studied during ten years more than 50 00 inhabitants of Golestan, (province of the northeast of Iran) between 40 and 75 years old. During the study period, 317 new cases of esophageal cancer were identified. And the researchers found that tea lovers drinking it over 60 ° C and consuming more than two large cups per day (700 mL) had a 90% higher risk of developing the condition compared to those who drank it. Fresher. A threat that had already been issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016.
According to IARC figures, cancer of the esophagus is the eighth most common cancer in the world. It kills nearly 400,000 people each year. In France, cases explode, since their number has increased sevenfold since 1998.
Heat damage to the esophagus
More research is needed to understand this link. But according to Stephen Evans professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom) questioned by CNN, it’s the heat that “Would cause esophageal damage, and this trauma would lead to cellular changes and therefore cancer”. For Dr James Doidge, researcher at University College London, “You don’t have to wait for scientists to find out that repeated irritation to any surface of the body increases your risk of cancer. The sun gives rise to skin cancer, smoking gives rise to lung cancer, and many foods and drinks contribute to the risk of gastrointestinal cancer ”.
Remember, however, that tea is rarely consumed at temperatures above 65 ° C in Europe. This is the case in South America or in countries like Russia, Iran, Turkey, where it is common to drink your tea in a samovar, a kind of constantly heated tap kettle. “It is therefore advisable to wait for the hot drinks to cool down before drinking”, summarizes simply the lead author of the study, Dr. Farhad Islami.
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