I was reading the health news write-up on this site a few minutes ago and read with a great deal of interest, the bit on how hot tea can increase your risks of developing cancer of the esophagus. This is according to some research that was conducted in Iran, recently. So, researchers have suggested that people should not drink their tea very hot but instead, wait for it to cool down a bit and then drink it.
For most adults, a cup of piping hot tea is such a welcome thought! It takes all your stress away and leaves you feeling rejuvenated. What a dampener this research is, if proved, that is. I, for one, like my tea really hot. Seeing the steaming vapors rising from the beverage often re-energizes me. And if my tea is not piping hot, I don’t enjoy it at all.
Tea is such a hot favorite with most of us and, of late, we are being repeatedly told how good it is for general health. Tea, it is believed, protects a person from heart disease, cancer, stroke and more. This is because it contains antioxidants which take on the free radicals in our body and stop them from hurting our healthy cells. It is also believed that tea drinkers suffer less from hypertension and cholesterol issues.
Now, some say that green tea has more antioxidants while some are convinced that it is white tea with the highest levels of antioxidants and hence, the ability to protect the body the most. Some say instant tea is not as effective as loose leaf tea.
But hey! Strangely, there have been declarations that ‘hot’ tea may lower risk of some skin cancers and that green tea may even lessen risk of esophageal cancer!
Well, so should we or should we not? Should we reach out for the hot cup or let it idle a bit till all the steam is out? If the researchers’ advice is to be followed, then we need to let the steam out.
So I guess, after reading about the words of caution by the researchers, I am not going to be enjoying a piping hot cup of tea any more.
Indeed, a pity!