Why the temperature of tea matters
The concern is not that tea itself is known to cause esophageal cancer. It is that repeatedly swallowing very hot liquids may expose the esophagus—the passage from the mouth to the stomach—to heat intense enough to injure its lining. Drinks above about 140°F (60°C) have been linked with higher risk, though that temperature is a guide, not a sharp boundary between safe and harmful.
Repeated irritation may be the link
A hot sip passes directly over the esophagus. If the lining is injured, the body repairs it; repeated cycles of injury and repair may create more opportunities for abnormal cells to develop. This is a proposed explanation for the observed association, not proof that a particular cup of tea will cause cancer. The relevant exposure is the temperature when the drink is swallowed, not how hot it was when brewed.
A small pause changes the exposure
Letting tea cool before drinking reduces the heat reaching the esophagus. The practical point is simple: avoid routinely swallowing liquids while they are scalding hot. A cup can still be hot and enjoyable without being hot enough to repeatedly burn the passage it travels through.
