A word of advice for people who like their tea piping hot: Waiting four minutes before imbibing freshly steeped tea could lower your risk for cancer of the esophagus, the 10-inch-long tube between your throat and stomach. Researchers surveyed the tea-drinking habits of a large group of Iranians. Those who liked their tea “hot” or “very hot,” or drank it less than two minutes after pouring, were significantly more likely to get esophageal cancer. What affected cancer risk was not how much tea they drank but its temperature.
Source: British Medical Journal, March 26, 2009