Eating warm food is often considered healthy and comforting, but consuming extremely hot food in a hurry can sometimes cause serious health complications. In a shocking incident from China, a 42-year-old woman reportedly developed a massive 8-centimetre ulcer in her oesophagus after quickly swallowing piping hot hotpot food without allowing it to cool down.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the woman from Hunan province was dining with friends when she hurriedly ate food straight from a boiling hotpot. Soon after the meal, she began experiencing severe chest pain and a burning sensation in her throat. Believing it was temporary discomfort, she drank ice-cold water to ease the pain.
However, her condition worsened overnight. By the next day, she reportedly found it difficult even to swallow water and rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Doctors conducted an endoscopy and discovered an 8cm ulcer in her oesophagus, 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 can only withstand temperatures of around 50-60 degrees Celsius. Freshly cooked hotpot items can reach temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees Celsius, causing severe burns internally.
Doctors also warned that suddenly consuming ice-cold water after eating extremely hot food may further irritate damaged tissues instead of providing relief.
Experts have repeatedly cautioned against eating or drinking food that is excessively hot, saying repeated exposure may increase the risk of oesophageal damage and other long-term complications.
Why China's Love for Extremely Hot Food Raises Health Concerns
According to SCMP, Hotpot remains one of the most popular foods across China, regardless of region. Among its many variations, the spicy hotpot from Sichuan and Chongqing is especially favoured for the unique sensation it creates, a mix of burning heat, numbing spice, and pleasure. However, this cultural preference for piping hot meals has raised health concerns, particularly as China accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global oesophageal cancer cases, with experts linking the risk partly to the habit of consuming very hot food.
In recent years, awareness has grown that food is not necessarily "better" when consumed at extremely high temperatures. In fact, the World Health Organization's cancer research agency listed beverages above 65 degrees Celsius as "probably carcinogenic to humans".
"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," said one online observer.
"We should change the old mindset that believes the food is best eaten hot," said another.
