A new study has added to evidence that drinking very hot tea may raise the risk of oesophageal cancer. Before you panic and pour your whole kettle down the drain, it helps to know what this actually means, because the details matter a lot here.

The finding comes down to temperature. The research links scalding-hot liquids, above about 65 degrees Celsius (roughly 149 Fahrenheit), to increased risk of oesophageal cancer. Multiple independent reviews of the finding confirm that threshold, and they also confirm the key point: it's the temperature, not the tea. Tea itself, especially green tea, has a long list of studied benefits, and nothing in this research suggests the beverage is the problem. Letting your tea cool before drinking may reduce the risk.

The reported numbers deserve a careful look. Coverage of the study suggests the risk may be tripled for very hot tea drinkers, and that figure is supported by the fact-check. But relative risk only tells part of the story. A tripled relative risk can still mean a change from very rare to rare, depending on where you start. I still want the absolute risk figures from the full paper, and until I've read them, I'd hold off on deciding how worried to be.

And practically? This may be one of the easiest fixes in all of health science. Let your tea sit and cool for a few minutes. Test a small sip. If it burns your tongue, it's too hot for your oesophagus too. My son Linton teases me because I let my tea go lukewarm half the time, but it turns out my impatience with hot drinks may have been accidentally protective for years.

I'll keep following this research, and I still plan to dig into the full paper for the absolute risk numbers behind the headline. In the meantime, enjoy your tea. Just give it a minute to cool. Your oesophagus will thank you, quietly, without ever making a fuss about it.