Drinking very hot beverages appears to raise the risk of esophageal cancer by as much as four times.

• Researchers analyzed results from five studies involving nearly 3,000 people.

• While several hot beverages were found to increase the cancer risk, green tea was actually found to be protective.

In addition, regular fruit consumption appeared to lower the risk of cancer by 63%, the investigators found.

The investigators found a particularly strong association with drinking mate, a tea served in parts of South America. Results show that heavy mate drinking, and consuming mate when it is very hot, was significantly associated with risk of esophageal cancer particularly among heavy drinkers. The researchers think that the increased risk comes because mate is usually consumed with a straw, which brings the very hot fluid directly to the esophagus.

The new findings "adds evidence for a carcinogenic effect of chronic thermal injury in the esophagus induced by the consumption of very hot drinks," according to Dr. Xavier Castellsague from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues.

The authors note that despite their findings "tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking remain by far the most important risk factors for esophageal cancer in these populations, accounting for 90% of its incidence."

International Journal of Cancer November 15, 2000;88:658-664.