Drinking Tea Too Hot Can Cause Cancer?

Besides coffee, tea is a favorite drink in the whole world. That is because, besides it tastes good and can calm the mind, tea has various health benefits. However, tea drinking habits must also be considered. Drink tea at the right temperature for the body, because there are opinions that say that drinking too much tea in hot conditions can cause cancer. Is that right?

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Tea and its types

Plants that have the Latin name Camellia sinensis originated from East Asia, precisely in southeast China in the Shang Dynasty. At present, tea has spread and is cultivated in almost all the world.

Since the beginning tea has been used as a medicinal plant, and is now increasingly developing into a recreational beverage that is popular throughout the world. Here are some types of tea that are popular throughout the world.

• Black tea

• Black tea is made through a fermentation process, making the leaves black. This tea has the highest caffeine content. Just like coffee, caffeine in tea also functions as a stimulant that makes a person more refreshed, vibrant, and has a sharper focus and concentration. In addition, the antioxidant content in black tea is also known to reduce the risk of stroke and help fight free radicals in the lungs due to smoking.

• Oolong tea

• Oolong tea is known to reduce cholesterol levels and help with weight loss programs.

• Green tea

• Unlike black tea, green tea does not go through a fermentation process so the color of the leaves remains green. Because not through the fermentation process, the antioxidant content in green tea is also more. The famous antioxidant is EGCG. These antioxidants are known to fight cancer, prevent the formation of fat plaques in the arteries, help prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and reduce the risk of stroke.

• White tea

• Just like green tea, white tea also does not go through the fermentation process and has the most powerful antioxidant and anticancer content compared to other types of tea.

Hot tea causes cancer?

Apart from the various health benefits of tea described above, there are new studies that suggest that consuming too much hot tea can cause cancer. Is that right?

Research conducted in China found that those who sipping tea too often still hot every day are more at risk of developing esophageal cancer. This is on the record, they also smoke or consume excessive alcohol every day. The amount of alcohol in question is more than 350 ml of beer or 140 ml of wine per day.

The study involved 450,000 people who were followed for 9 years. As a result, those who drink hot tea every day with a temperature of more than 65 degrees Celsius coupled with the habit of smoking or drinking excessive alcohol, are at risk five times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than those who do not smoke and only drink hot tea occasionally.

In fact, those who do not smoke or drink alcohol are also at greater risk of esophageal cancer if they have the habit of drinking hot tea every day.

The researchers assessed that patients with esophageal cancer whose numbers are increasing in this world are subjected to repeated heat trauma to their esophagus. Together with free radicals or oxidants from cigarettes or excessive alcohol that contribute to damaging the esophageal mucous membrane, cancer occurs in the esophagus.

Experts whose research has just been published do not prohibit you from drinking tea. However, tea still has health benefits. It's just recommended that you wait until the temperature of warm tea before drinking it to avoid the risk of esophageal cancer. On the other hand, also avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.

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