A 42-year-old Chinese woman developed an 8-centimetre oesophageal ulcer after consuming piping-hot hotpot food too quickly and then drinking ice-cold water later on, further irritating it. Consuming hot food is considered healthy and comforting, but eating extremely hot food can end up being a serious health hazard.
From hotpot to hospital
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, a woman from Hunan province was dining with friends when she hurriedly swallowed food directly from a boiling hotpot without allowing it to cool. Shortly after the meal, she began experiencing intense chest pain and a burning sensation in her throat.
The woman reportedly drank ice-cold water in an attempt to ease the pain, as she believed the discomfort was temporary. However, her condition worsened overnight. By the next day, she was unable to swallow even water properly and had to rush to the emergency room.
Doctors performed an endoscopy and discovered an 8-centimetre ulcer in her oesophagus, measuring nearly one-third the length of an adult food pipe. Medical experts explained that while many people assume the throat can tolerate high temperatures, the oesophageal lining is far more sensitive and can generally withstand temperatures of only around 50 to 60 degree Celsius.
Freshly cooked hotpot dishes, however, can often reach temperatures between 80 and 90 degree Celsius, making them capable of causing serious internal burns if consumed immediately. Doctors also warned that drinking ice-cold water immediately after consuming extremely hot food may aggravate already damaged tissues rather than provide relief.
Is warm food good for health?
Health experts have repeatedly cautioned against consuming food or beverages at excessively high temperatures, noting that repeated exposure may increase the risk of oesophageal damage and other long-term complications.
According to the SCMP report, hotpot continues to be one of the most popular dishes across China. Among its wide regional varieties, the spicy hotpot from Sichuan and Chongqing remains especially popular for the intense combination of burning heat, numbing spice, and flavour. However, this cultural preference for very hot meals has also raised medical concerns, particularly because China accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global oesophageal cancer cases. Experts have partly linked this risk to the habit of regularly consuming extremely hot food.
Also Read | Mount Everest sees record-breaking 274 climbers reach summit in a single day
In recent years, awareness regarding the dangers of very hot food and beverages has increased globally. The World Health Organisation’s cancer research agency has previously classified beverages above 65 degree Celsius as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’.
Reacting online, one observer said, “It is true that some people love eating hot food, finding it tastier. I once ate hot tofu, burned my palate and was in pain for days.”
“We should change the old mindset that believes the food is best eaten hot,” another person commented.
