A new study reports a possible link between higher consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of cancer. While careful interpretation is needed, the findings add to a growing body of data showing that limiting sugary beverage consumption, along with other restrictions, may help reduce cancer cases.
A team of French researchers looked for the associations between the consumption of sugary drinks (sugar-sweetened drinks and 100% fruit juices), artificially sweetened (diet) drinks, and the risk of general cancer, as well as breast and prostate and bowel (colorectal) cancers. cancers. Their findings are based on 101,257 healthy French adults (21% males, 79% females) with a mean age of 42 years at admission.
The participants completed at least two 24-hour online validated dietary questionnaires designed to measure habitual intakes of 3,300 different foods and drinks and were followed up for up to 9 years (2009-2018).
Daily consumption of sugary drinks (sugar-sweetened drinks and 100% fruit juices) and artificially sweetened (diet) drinks were calculated and first cases of cancer reported by participants were validated by medical records and linked to national insurance databases. Several known risk factors for cancer, such as age, gender, education level, family history of cancer, smoking status, and physical activity levels were taken into account.
The mean daily consumption of sugary drinks was greater in men than in women (90.3 ml and 74.6 ml, respectively). During follow-up, 2193 first cases of cancer were diagnosed and validated (693 breast cancer, 291 prostate cancers and 166 colorectal cancers). The mean age at diagnosis of cancer was 59 years.
The results show that an increase of 100 ml per day in the consumption of sugary drinks was associated with an 18% increased risk of overall cancer and a 22% increased risk of breast cancer. When the sugary drinks group was split into fruit juices and other sugary drinks, consumption of both types of drink was associated with a higher risk of overall cancer. No association was found between prostate and colorectal cancer, but the number of cases was more limited for these cancer sites.
In contrast, consumption of artificially sweetened (diet) beverages was not associated with a risk of cancer, but the authors caution that caution should be exercised in interpreting this finding due to a relatively low level of consumption in this sample.
Possible explanations for these results include the effect of the sugar in sugary drinks on visceral fat (stored around vital organs such as the liver and pancreas), blood sugar levels and inflammatory markers, all of which are linked to an increased risk of cancer. Other chemical compounds, such as additives in some soft drinks, may also play a role, they add.
