Many of us are so eager to have our cup of tea that we do not wait for it to brew properly, a University of London study revealed last week.
Researchers found that 40 per cent of tea drinkers do not let the tea infuse for two minutes; the time needed to achieve the best flavour.
Not only will you miss out on the taste but there is also another potential problem with being impatient — you are drinking the liquid when it is still very hot, which, research suggests, could be bad for you.
Drinking a cup of tea in less than two minutes after it was poured has been associated with a five-fold higher risk of cancer, compared with drinking it four or more minutes after being poured
For example, the heat and steam from your cup of tea or coffee can make blood vessels in the nose expand, says Henry Sharpe, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.
‘This can lead to weakening or rupturing of the vessels, causing nosebleeds.
‘People prone to nosebleeds are particularly vulnerable, so allow your drinks to cool.
‘We tell anyone who has had nasal surgery to avoid hot drinks for 40 to 72 hours.’
If you have had a nosebleed, avoid hot drinks for at least 24 hours as that is how long it takes for blood vessels to settle down, says Mr Sharpe.
And here is what else that warming cuppa might do.
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Drinking steaming hot black tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer.
The disease affects 8,000 people in Britain each year.
In Europe it tends to be associated with smoking, obesity and alcohol, rather than hot drinks.
However, researchers at the University of Tehran have suggested that hot black tea may also be a risk factor.
They studied the tea-drinking habits of 300 people diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and compared them with healthy people.
Nearly all of the participants drank black tea regularly; more than a litre a day on average.
Drinking steaming hot black tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer. The disease affects 8,000 people in Britain each year
HOT DRINKS MAKES SKIN CONDITIONS WORSE
People with rosacea may find that it gets worse when they have hot drinks.
The condition, which affects one in ten people, causes chronic facial flushing.
‘Many patients in my practice find the redness gets worse when they drink hot drinks and improves when they replace them with cold drinks,’ says Dr John Ashworth, consultant dermatologist at Bridgewater NHS Trust, Cheshire.
This may be because a rise in body temperature affects the blood vessels around the body which regulate heat, including those in the face, he says.
If you have sensitive teeth, perhaps from tooth grinding or brushing too hard, avoid hot drinks altogether. Teeth that have just been whitened may also feel sensitive
COULD YOUR TASTEBUDS BE DESTROYED?
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