A new research study suggests that the habit of drinking a soda every day could increase the risk of developing certain cancers. These findings are supported by decades of data collected from over 100,000 participants.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older report consuming sugar-sweetened beverages at least once a day. For the purposes of this study, this category included regular soda, energy drinks, and juices with added sugars.
Dr. Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and the senior author of the study, noted that this is the first research to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer within a U.S. population. He added that while gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death globally, there has been limited understanding regarding how diet contributes to the disease.
The study authors noted that previous research has already established links between these types of beverages and other cancers, including breast, liver, and colorectal cancer. Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the organ and is notably harder to treat once it reaches an advanced stage, as noted by the Mayo Clinic.
Interestingly, the study did not find an increased risk of gastric cancer associated with artificially sweetened beverages, which were defined as low-calorie carbonated drinks. However, the researchers cautioned that this does not mean diet sodas are without risk. While the FDA considers the common artificial sweetener aspartame safe within acceptable daily limits, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has previously labeled the substance as a possible carcinogen.
The researchers acknowledged several limitations in their study, including a predominantly White participant group aged 30 to 75 and limited data on the health and family history of some individuals, which prevented them from analyzing associations within younger adults or specific racial and ethnic subgroups. Furthermore, while factors such as inflammation, insulin resistance, and weight gain are proposed as underlying mechanisms for the increased risk, the authors emphasized that future research is necessary to confirm the precise biological reasons for this association.
