THERE were more than 9,000 cases of oesophageal cancer (or cancer of the food pipe or gullet) diagnosed last year, 3 per cent of all cancer cases.
More than half of those cases could have been prevented; we’ve known for years the disease is caused by lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity. The greatest risk factor, however, is age, as recurrent damage over years ultimately takes its toll on the food pipe.
But I’m often asked by patients, does drinking hot tea for many years also damage the gullet?
It’s a good question as tea is the second most widely drunk beverage in the world after water.
It’s known that catechins – contained in both green and black tea – can act as powerful inhibitors of cancer growth. In studies of liver, skin and stomach cancer, chemically induced tumours were shown to decrease in size in mice fed green and black tea.
But what of the risks of drinking scalding hot tea? Recent research from China, looking at 450,000 people over nine years is reassuring: scientists found no increased risk for oesophageal cancer in those who drank tea every day.
But the risk was seen to be five times higher in those who drink hot tea plus more than 15 grams of alcohol each day (equivalent to a 175ml glass of wine), as compared with those who drink scaldingly hot tea regularly but no alcohol.
The risk of cancer was also seen to be doubled in those who drink very hot tea and smoke tobacco.
So, while there’s every reason to exercise moderation over alcohol intake, drinking tea alone won’t do you any harm and may even do you good.
© Solo dmg media
