Your daily karak or gahwa could be doing more harm than good

Karak tea or gahwa are constantly served everwhere in every home, office, majlis and cafeteria. In the UAE, it’s a ritual. But according to a major new British study, the habit of drinking it while it still burns your tongue could triple your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

The study, led by the University of Oxford and published in the International Journal of Cancer, is the largest study of its kind to date. It was found that people who regularly drank very hot tea or coffee at temperatures of 65°C or above were approximately three times more likely to develop esophageal cancer than those who preferred their drinks warm.

Researchers followed roughly one million middle-aged men and women in the UK over 14 years. Drinking six or more hot beverages a day was linked to a higher risk. Gulf news spoke to doctors in the UAE about what the findings mean for a culture where hot drinks are not just a habit but also part of the identity.

It’s not tea or coffee itself

Esophageal cancer does show up in clinical practice in the UAE, though Dr. Anu Susan George, a consultant in the Consultant in the Department of Medical Oncology at Medcare, is careful to point out it is not among the most common cancers doctors here encounter.

She pointed out that the Oxford findings were interesting but not entirely surprising and reinforced the importance of avoiding repeated thermal injury to the esophagus.

“I would not interpret the findings as meaning that tea or coffee itself is harmful,” she said. “Rather, the concern is around consuming beverages at extremely high temperatures on a regular basis.”

Chief medical oncologist at the Advanced Care Oncology Center in Dubai, Dr. Tarek AlKhouri is not surprised either by the study’s findings. “This is not a newly established link, it is something that has been known for a long time,” he said. “We always make it clear to patients that prolonged use of very hot drinks can create inflammation in the lower esophagus, and over time that can lead to cancer. Having people here who consume hot fluids three or four times a day which is a factor.”

But that does not mean to give up karak or gahwa altogether, both doctors agreed on.

“I would not tell someone that they need to stop drinking coffee or tea, I would encourage them to let a hot drink cool before sipping it as a simple, sensible habit.” Dr. Anu Susan George said.

Her rule of thumb is, if a drink is hot enough to burn your lips, tongue or mouth, it is probably too hot to drink it.

Bigger risk factors closer to home

Beverage temperature, both doctors stressed, is far from the most important factor in the UAE. Tobacco exposure, including cigarette smoking and shisha remain a significant risk in the country, excess body weight, spicy food and chronic acid reflux can also raise the odds.  

“It is all linked to hyperacidity of the stomach, and combined with hot tea and fried food, it compounds the risk.”, Dr. Tarek Al Khouri Said.

Dr. Anu Susan George, explained that cancer risk is multifactorial “so focusing on a combination of a healthy habits is much more beneficial than focusing on one individual behavior.”

It is according to the doctors, important to pay attention to persistent symptoms such as difficulty or pain when swallowing, a sensation that food is getting stuck in the throat or chest, unexplained weight loss, persistent indigestion or reflux, recurrent vomiting, or ongoing chest or upper abdominal discomfort.