发表于《国际癌症杂志》（International Journal of Cancer）的一项涉及近100万英国成年人的大规模前瞻性队列研究证实，饮用过热饮品会显著增加患食管癌的风险。数据显示，偏好饮用“极热”（very hot）茶或咖啡的人群，患食管鳞状细胞癌（squamous-cell carcinoma）的风险较偏好“温热”（warm）饮品者整整高出三倍；而偏好“热”（hot）饮品的人群患病风险亦呈梯度上升。在英国每年确诊的约3,200例食管癌病例中，如果所有习惯饮用“极热”饮品的人群将饮品温度降至普通“热”度再行饮用，每年或可直接预防约440例新发癌症。

研究结果表明，致癌风险与饮品种类（红茶或咖啡）以及是否添加牛奶完全无关，确凿证实热损伤的核心诱因在于物理温度本身，而非化学成分。这一结论与全球多项流行病学调查高度契合，南美洲饮用热马黛茶（mate）及亚洲饮用热绿茶均被证实与食管癌高发直接相关。世界卫生组织下属的国际癌症研究机构（IARC）早在2016年便将超过65°C的过热饮品列为“可能致癌物”（2A类）。在英美两国的日常消费场景中，热饮出杯温度通常在60°C左右，自述偏好“温热”的群体实际入口温度往往更低，这进一步印证了牛津大学研究学者吉尔·里夫斯（Gill Reeves）的建议：饮品温度越低，对食管上皮黏膜的保护效果越好。

对于缺乏专业温度测量工具的普通消费者而言，遵循专业咖啡品鉴流程能够提供科学简便的降温参考。精品咖啡协会（SCA）的标准杯测规程显示，咖啡萃取4分钟后，品鉴师需等待并闻香8至10分钟，使液温降至适宜首次勺啜的约70°C；随后再等待5至8分钟，液温将自然降至评测风味与口感的最佳区间约55°C。对于日常匆忙摄入咖啡因的群体，在刚冲泡的热饮中直接加入冷水或从冰箱中取出冷牛奶进行物理降温，即可在不牺牲健康的前提下有效规避高温烫伤引发的食管黏膜慢性炎症与癌变风险。

A large-scale epidemiological investigation published in the International Journal of Cancer evaluating nearly 1m British adults confirms that consuming piping hot liquids significantly elevates the risk of oesophageal malignancy. The study established that individuals preferring their tea or coffee “very hot” face a three-fold increase in the incidence of oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma relative to those who consume beverages “warm”, while those drinking them “hot” exhibit intermediate risk elevation. Among the approximately 3,200 oesophageal cancer cases diagnosed annually in Britain, the authors calculate that cooling drinks from “very hot” to “hot” could prevent approximately 440 diagnoses per year.

The empirical findings remained entirely robust irrespective of beverage classification—tea versus coffee—or whether milk was added, proving that thermal injury rather than chemical composition drives epithelial oncogenesis. This corroborates regional studies linking green tea and South American mate infusions to oesophageal damage, aligning with the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifying beverages consumed above 65°C as “probably carcinogenic” in 2016. Because hot beverages in Britain and America typically average around 60°C at consumption, participants reporting “warm” intake drank at even lower thresholds, prompting Oxford University co-author Gill Reeves to stress that lower thermal exposure consistently minimizes carcinogenic risk.

Practical thermal management can mirror professional sensory standards without requiring specialized temperature probes. Specialized Coffee Association cupping protocols prescribe that following a four-minute brew, evaluators wait 8 to 10 minutes to allow the beverage to cool to roughly 70°C for initial evaluation, followed by an additional 5 to 8 minutes of cooling to reach 55°C—the optimal physiological window for flavor evaluation and mucosal protection. For rushed consumers seeking caffeine, blending hot extractions with refrigerated milk or cold water instantly eliminates thermal risks while shielding esophageal lining from repetitive heat-induced cellular trauma.

Source: Hot coffee could cause oesophageal cancer

Subtitle: The cooler it is, the safer

Dateline: Sep 17th 2026\n