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A new study has found that the consumption of sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices can increase the risk of cancer.
The study, published in the BMJ, found that the consumption of sugary drinks was "significantly badociated with cancer risk in general and bad cancer". Sugar drinks have been defined as those containing more than 5% sugar, including soda and 100% non-added sugar.
For this study, researchers tracked the health, lifestyle and dietary habits of 101,257 adults over a five-year period. During this period, cancer was developed in approximately 2,200 people, the majority of whom regularly consumed sugary drinks.
The results are among the first to show a positive badociation between the consumption of sugary drinks and cancer. In addition, this positive badociation was observed for both sodas and fruit juice at 100%.
Nevertheless, the results do not necessarily prove that sugar causes cancer.
"These results must be replicated in other large-scale prospective studies," the researchers wrote. "They suggest that sweetened beverages, which are widely consumed in Western countries, could represent a modifiable risk factor for cancer prevention."
It is probably safe to drink soda or fruit juice on occasion, said principal researcher Mathilde Touvier The Guardian.
"Many public health agencies recommend drinking less than one drink a day, so if you eat a sweet drink from time to time, it will not be a problem, but if you drink at least one drink a day, it may increase the risk of several diseases – here, perhaps cancer, but also with a high level of evidence, cardiometabolic diseases. "
The researchers said the findings could help inform future policy decisions. A handful of US cities levied taxes on the soda ash industry, including Boulder, Colorado; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington, as well as Albany, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco California. Distributors and wholesalers generally pay the tax when they deliver sodas to retailers, but consumers are expected to pay more in the form of higher retail prices.
These taxes seem to reduce the consumption of soda. A recent study showed that Philadelphia soda purchases had dropped by 1 billion ounces in 2017, the first year of the application of the soda tax.
Does sugar cause cancer?
Although consumption of large amounts of sugar has been linked to some forms of cancer, such as esophageal cancer, there is no reason to think that it can cause the disease, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. But there is an indirect link: eating high-sugar foods often leads to obesity, which increases the risk of developing cancer.
To consume less sugar, the institute recommends several strategies:
- replace sodas with flavored carbonated water without added sugar
- opt for unsweetened tea
- add colorful fruits like berries, melon and citrus fruits to your water
- sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa on your coffee drinks and avoid sugar
- pack healthy snacks such as nuts, fresh or dried fruit or whole grain crackers and cheese instead of sweet snacks.
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