Very hot drinks boost cancer risk

NEW YORK. KAZINFORM - Anyone who likes to curl up with a steaming hot drink should consider letting some of that warmth subside; drinking it could increase their risk of developing cancer, CNN reports.

In a review published today by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, drinking very hot beverages was classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

More specifically, the review by a panel of global experts stated that drinking beverages at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius -- 149 degrees Fahrenheit -- could cause people to develop cancer of their esophagus, the eighth most common form of cancer worldwide.

Drinking tea, coffee or other hot beverages at this temperature can cause significant scald burns in the esophagus when they're consumed and has previously been linked to an increased cancer risk in this part of the body.

These beverages are, however, commonly served above this temperature and according to the American Burn Association, skin contact with a liquid this hot can result in almost instantaneous burns if prolonged.

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