If your food is so hot that it burns your mouth, you might need to let things cool down a bit! According to a 2009 study, one esophageal cancer cause may be the consumption of extremely hot foods and drinks. The heat from the foods and drinks may actually damage the fragile cells that line your esophagus badly enough to cause mutation.
Esophageal cancer usually begins in the cells that line the esophagus, and ultimately spreads to affect the entire esophagus. In the United States, most cases of esophageal cancer are found in men and occur in the lower portion of the esophagus.
This type of cancer is difficult to treat and the result is many fatalities every year. If you are at risk for developing esophageal cancer, then it may be best to avoid overly hot foods and drinks.
What is Esophageal Cancer?
The esophagus is a long, hollow tube that connects the back of your throat to your stomach. It transfers food from your throat to your stomach so that your food can be digested. This structure lies directly behind your trachea or windpipe and in front of your spine.
Everything that you eat and drink enters your esophagus in order to be processed by the digestive system and absorbed by your body. For this reason, your esophagus is one of the hardest working organs of your body.
Esophageal cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the innermost layer of your esophagus, or the mucosa. Once the cancer cells form, they begin to grow outward through the outer two layers of your esophagus.
Two main cell types are found in your esophagus, thus two main forms of cancer can occur. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are both cancerous cells and masses commonly diagnosed in the esophagus. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the squamous cells of your esophagus, while adenocarcinomas begin in the gland cells of your esophagus. Both types are equally as common in the United States and both produce the following symptoms:
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Unexplained weight loss
- Difficulty swallowing
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
If esophageal cancer is suspected, then your doctor may order imaging tests in order to determine whether or not cancer cells are present. If so, then your cancer cells would be staged and treatment would be determined based on how advanced your case is as well as your preferences.
How do Hots Foods and Drinks Contribute to Esophageal Cancer?
There is new research coming out in the medical community about how hot foods and drinks and their link to esophageal cancer. According to research studies published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the International Journal of Cancer, high temperature foods and beverages may increase a person’s risk of developing esophageal cancer in their future.
The study published in the British Medical Journal stated that drinking extremely hot tea could increase your risk of developing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The study followed tea drinkers from Iran, 300 patients who had esophageal cancer and 571 patients who were healthy.
After interviewing and examining both groups of patients, the study concluded that esophageal cancer was eight times more common in people who drank very hot tea each day in comparison to people who drank hot or lukewarm tea each day.
Even though temperature is a relative feeling, each person understands what the phrases “too hot” and “very hot” mean. Beverages that are too hot or very hot should be avoided, because they injure your esophageal squamous cells – much like a sunburn on the surface of your skin.
Over time, these cells can become so damaged from the habit of consuming foods that are too hot that they become cancerous – just as skin cancer can form from too many sunburns.
The study published in the International Journal of Cancer also found an association with drinking very hot beverages and esophageal cancers. This study was a systematic review that looked at 59 different research studies and found a strong correlation with drinking teas and coffees that were considered “too hot” and “very hot” with esophageal cancer.
More recently, a review published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that drinking very hot beverages was “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Interestingly, prior studies had linked drinking coffee to esophageal cancer, when in reality, it is more likely that coffee itself is not the problem, unless it is very hot.
How to Prevent Esophageal Cancer
Consuming foods that are heated to a high temperature increases your risk of damaging the fragile cells that line your esophagus and could lead to the formation of cancer.
To prevent damage to your mouth, throat, and stomach, consider lukewarm or hot items that do not cause a burning sensation in the mouth. If your food or drinks appear far too hot, be patient and let them cool…
It’s a small change that could make a big difference in your health!
For those who have habitually consumed hot food and beverages, you might want to take preventive measures. One suggestion would be to consume (organic) strawberries, or even better, include freeze-dried strawberries in your daily diet. Research done in 2011 at the Ohio State University in Columbus shows that strawberries may slow the progression of the disease. The researchers found that daily consumption of dried strawberries over the course of six months significantly lowered the histological grade of precancerous lesions.
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Article Summary
Most cases of esophageal cancer in the U.S. are found in men and occur in the lower portion of the esophagus.
According to a 2009 study, one cause of esophageal cancer may be the consumption of extremely hot foods and drinks. The heat can damage the fragile cells that line your esophagus badly enough to cause mutation.
Two main cell types are found in your esophagus, thus two main forms of cancer can occur. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are both cancerous cells and masses commonly diagnosed in the esophagus.
Both types are equally as common in the United States and both produce the following symptoms:
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Unexplained weight loss
- Difficulty swallowing
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
According to research studies published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the International Journal of Cancer, high temperature foods and beverages may increase a person’s risk of developing esophageal cancer in their future.
To prevent damage to your mouth, throat, and stomach, consider lukewarm or hot items that do not cause a burning sensation in the mouth. If your food or drinks appear far too hot, be patient and let them cool.
Eating hot food and drinking very hot beverages are not very healthy habits. It is always best to wait that food and drinks cool down. I tend to blow my hot food and beverages to make them cool down a bit. When I drink hot chocolate or tea in the winter months, I do not drink them immediately. The cold air makes my hot beverages cooler. I do not know whether it causes esophageal cancer. I am not a medical doctor.
Ty, recently lost a friend to the beast. Sad as hell. He was a musician.
I have been diagnosed with corkscrew esophagus. I wonder if that could be address some time. Thank you
I have all the symptoms and had to put off a scoping down my throat because the doctor was in an accident, and yes, I have often swallowed too hot food or drink because it was too hot for my mouth, regretting it, I’ve become very hoarsenal this last month and wonder if I should go to another doctor instead of waiting another 1 1/2 mths for this next appt
Does this include hot peppers?
I am so glad to have read this article regarding hot drinks and food. I use to try to keep my coffee as hot as possible and even preheated my cup and then enjoyed reading my emails and articles like in “The Truth About Cancer” and many other alternative medicine websites. This past spring I had a very irritated throat when trying to drink lemon juice and water first thing in the morning and I finally gave up and decided this isn’t good for me. However, over the period of about a month I noticed food was tasting very dull and I soon realized I had lost my taste buds. Over the summer I have lost about 10 pounds because food just doesn’t taste good, but I am trying to eat healthy even though there is not much taste. I do feel it is getting a little better in the past couple of weeks. I also have post nasal drip. Should I be overly worried?
This info is great, but I think the risk is much greater chewing on ice (EVEN ICECREAM IS ????) – a nurses; strategy to stop digestion…COLD.
John McDowell, chewing ice and eating ice cream poses a greater risk of developing esophageal cancer than does these very hot liquids? Could you please elaborate on that? My kids eat ice cream every day and I would like to know where this information can be read so that I can protect them.
Over 20 years ago I knew someone who had this type of cancer. He had been living abroad and when his doctor asked him if he liked soy sauce on his food he answered that, apart from his breakfast, he sprinkled it liberally on everything else. According to the doctor he needed to look no further for the cause of his cancer.
sorry – was offline for a few days. There is a ‘problem’ here; all human food gets enzymically-digested at a very narrow range of temperatures. Outside this range all kinds of biochemical difficulties occur especially for those who no longer can manufacture enough digestive enzymes. In most cases kids get a pass, but seniors and those with digestive issues are ?????????????????????? This range is likely that of fresh, warm breast milk or temperatures when wee non-verbal tykes will holler like they are being murdered. Like, I said kids get a pass – whether its for ice or icecream or too hot (even burning foods) because their digestive systems recuperate in just a few days. This leaves a problem with processed meat, all pills and supplements taken at room temperature … not hot and not ice …. even if it is ‘flavoured’ with sugar. The effects of ice on vegetation gives us a head up … is something very amiss here?
Can you suggest what essential oils will relieve side effects from radiation for throat cancer and aid in fighting any returning cancer cells. I use doterra oils. Thank you.
Espresso, tea, and maté may cause esophageal growth (EC) by making warm damage the esophageal mucosa. Assuming this is the case, the danger of EC owing to warm damage could be substantial in populaces in which these drinks are usually devoured. Furthermore, these beverages may cause or avert EC by means of their concoction constituents.