Hot Tea Hard to Swallow

news you may not know

Patience...

Yes, of course hot tea is good for you. Study after study has proven the benefits of drinking both black and green teas. And, it's not just science -- there's that whole mystical, wonderfully soothing aspect to tea that can be found nowhere else.

But...

New research indicates that not all tea drinking is beneficial. Surprisingly, it has nothing at all to do with the actual tea. In this case, it's all about preparation.

Researchers in Iran studied a group of people with a high incidence of throat cancer. The results were quite interesting. Though this group had a low rate of smoking and alcohol consumption they had an inordinately high rate of throat cancer.

This is where the tea comes in. The researchers found that those who drank very hot tea were much more susceptible to throat cancer. But, those tea drinkers who allowed the tea to cool slightly before drinking it, were largely spared.

The tipping point appears to be about 70° Celsius (158° F) -- while allowing the tea to cool to below 65° Celsius (149° F)provides both a soothing drink and eliminates the cancer risk.

So, by all means, continue to enjoy the many health benefits of black and green teas. Just stir in a bit of patience and allow your tea to cool for a couple of minutes before you sip.

To read more about the study, see this from Reuters Health. To learn more about the history of tea, and the many varieties of tea, see this from Wikipedia.