A new
observational study finds a link between the consumption of sugary drinks,
including 100% fruit juices, and the risk of cancer.
For some time now, researchers have been linking sugary drinks
with a wide range of health risks.
Obesity, type 2
diabetes, and cardiovascular
disease are only some of the conditions that previous studies
have associated with sweetened drinks.
Some studies in
rodents have suggested that the added sugar in soft drinks can drive the spread
of cancer and fuel tumor growth.
Now, new research further explores the link between sugary
drinks and cancer. The observational study, appearing in The BMJ, finds an association
between high intake of sugary drinks and cancer.
Eloi Chazelas, from the Sorbonne Paris Cité Epidemiology and
Statistics Research Center in France, is the first author of the study.
Studying sugary drinks and cancer risk
Chazelas and team examined the links between the intake of
sugary drinks and various forms of cancer in 101,257 French adults aged 42
years, on average. The researchers obtained the data from the NutriNet-Santé
study.
The drinks they examined included "sugar-sweetened
beverages" such as soft drinks, syrups, fruit drinks, 100% fruit juices
without any added sugar, milk-based sugary drinks, sports drinks, and energy
drinks.
The researchers also considered artificially-sweetened drinks,
that is, "all beverages containing nonnutritive sweeteners, such as diet
soft drinks, sugar-free syrups, and diet milk-based beverages."
Using 24-hour online food questionnaires, the researchers
assessed the participants' consumption of 3,300 different kinds of foods and
drinks. Furthermore, clinical observation of the participants continued for up
to 9 years.
During this time, the researchers looked at the risk of
"overall, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer."
Chazelas and colleagues accounted for potential confounders,
including age, sex, education, hereditary risk of cancer, and lifestyle factors
— such as smoking behavior and exercise patterns.
A 22% higher risk of breast cancer
Over the follow-up period, 2,193 people developed cancer for the
first time; they were 59 years old at the time of diagnosis, on average. Among
all these cases were 693 of breast cancer, 291 of prostate cancer, and 166 colorectal
cancer.
The analysis revealed that for a daily
increase of 100 milliliters in the intake of sugary drinks, the risk of overall
cancer rose by 18%, and the risk of breast cancer increased by 22%.
When the researchers analyzed the risk for 100% fruit juices
separately, these also elevated the risk of overall cancer and breast cancer.
However, the study found no links with colorectal cancer or prostate cancer.
By contrast, diet drinks did not increase cancer risk. The
scientists explain that people who consumed diet drinks did so in very small
amounts, so they suggest interpreting this particular result with caution.
Strengths and limitations of the study
Chazelas and colleagues also lay out the strengths and
weaknesses of their research.
First, the "large sample size and its detailed and
up-to-date assessment" of the drinks consumed strengthen the results,
write the researchers.
However, the findings may not be widely generalizable, as the
study cohort is not representative of the wider population, they continue.
"Since the participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort were
more often women," they say, "with health-conscious behaviors and
higher socio-professional and educational levels than the general French
population, this might have resulted in a lower cancer incidence compared with
national estimates."
Other limitations include the inability to determine causality
and potential measurement biases. However, the authors speculate that sugary
drinks may raise cancer risk because the sugar affects visceral fat, blood
sugar, and inflammatory markers — all of which previous studies have correlated
with higher cancer risk.
The researchers conclude:
"These data support
the relevance of existing nutritional recommendations to limit sugary drink
consumption, including 100% fruit juice, as well as policy actions, such as
taxation and marketing restrictions targeting sugary drinks, which might
potentially contribute to the reduction of cancer incidence."
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