Drinking a hot cup of coffee on a winter morning or chilly evening is one of the best feelings one in the world. However, did you know this habit could lead to you risking your health? A new study suggests that drinking very hot tea or coffee often might increase your risk of a type of throat cancer known as oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Researchers looked at the habits of over 450,000 people in the UK. They found that those who drank eight or more cups of "very hot" drinks a day were almost six times more likely to get this cancer over a 12-year period. A "very hot" drink was defined as being hotter than 149°F (65°C). The study also found that the more hot drinks a person had, the higher their risk. For example, drinking four to six cups a day raised the risk by almost four times, and six to eight cups raised it by nearly five times. Do Hot Drinks Lead To Cancer? Although scientists don't know the exact reason, they think that drinking very hot liquids over and over might damage the cells in your throat. This constant damage could eventually lead to cancer. In a study with animals, drinking very hot water (158°F or 70°C) actually helped tumors grow in rats. A separate study in Iran also found that people who drank tea hotter than 140°F (60°C) had a higher risk of throat cancer. Experts from Cancer Research UK noted that 60°C is "a lot hotter than most cups of tea." They added that if you let your tea cool for a few minutes or add cold milk, you are likely not to increase your risk of cancer. The key takeaway is to avoid drinking beverages at extremely high temperatures. Do Hot Drinks Harm Our Health? According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the idea that very hot drinks like coffee or tea could cause cancer has been around for a long time. The theory is that the heat could damage the lining of your throat, and over time, this damage could lead to cancer. While some animal studies have shown a link, this was at temperatures much hotter than what people would normally drink. More recently, some studies from other countries have linked hot drinks to a type of throat cancer, but the evidence isn't very strong, especially for people in the U.S. and Europe. They explained how a study from China also found a higher risk of throat cancer in people who drank very hot tea, but these people were also heavy smokers or drinkers. This makes it difficult to say that the hot tea alone was the cause. Do Hot Drinks Cause Cancer?While many researchers have pointed that out there is a link, there are many crucial factors missing. Experts explain that these studies are misleading for several reasons: The type of cancer linked to hot drinks (squamous cell carcinoma) is much less common in the U.S. than other types.The study participants often had other risk factors, like smoking, drinking alcohol, or living with environmental issues. This makes it hard to be sure if the hot tea was the real problem.The China study wasn't very scientific; it just asked people to guess how hot their tea was.Even the study from Iran, which actually measured the temperature, had a problem because almost everyone in that region drinks hot tea, so there was no good group to compare them to.Healthcare professionals explain that there is no solid evidence that drinking hot liquids by themselves increases your risk of cancer. At most, it might add to the risk if you also smoke or drink alcohol.If you're still worried, it's a good idea to let your coffee or tea cool down for a few seconds before you drink it. However, it is also recommended to focus on the factors that are definitely linked to a higher risk of throat cancer: smoking, drinking alcohol, obesity, and acid reflux (GERD).