Daily soda habit linked to 2.45-fold higher stomach cancer risk: Study
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Daily soda habit linked to 2.45-fold higher stomach cancer risk: Study")
Image for representation Photograph: (Freepik)
A US study links daily sugar-sweetened beverage and high fructose intake to a 2.45-fold higher risk of stomach cancer, though it shows an association rather than direct causation.
Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a significantly higher risk of stomach cancer, according to a new US study that researchers say is the first to establish such an association among Americans.
The study, published in Gastro Hep Advances, analysed dietary and health data from 112,284 participants enrolled in two long-running US studies, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Researchers followed participants from 1986 to 2022 and identified 278 cases of stomach cancer during that period.
What did the study find?
The study found that people who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day had a 2.45-fold higher risk of developing gastric cancer compared with those who consumed one or fewer such drinks a month. Researchers also found that higher consumption of fructose, a type of sugar commonly found in sweetened drinks, was associated with a greater risk of stomach cancer.
However, the findings do not establish that sugary drinks directly cause cancer. The study identified an association between consumption and cancer risk, while other factors could also have contributed.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
Stomach cancer has several known risk factors, including genetics and infections such as Helicobacter pylori. The researchers noted that information on some factors, including family history and H. pylori infection, was incomplete in the data, meaning the findings do not provide the complete picture.
Scientists have several theories about why high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages could be linked to stomach cancer. Such drinks can contribute to weight gain and obesity, which are associated with an increased risk of several cancers. High sugar intake may also affect insulin and blood sugar regulation, inflammation and the microorganisms living in the gut.
The study also found that stomach cancer risk increased with greater fructose consumption, while beverages containing artificial sweeteners did not show the same association. The finding does not mean artificially sweetened drinks should be considered healthy, researchers cautioned, as their long-term health effects remain an area of ongoing research.
