It is not news that high consumption of products with added and processed sugars, as well as red meat, can carry a health risk. But the issue of poor diet, although the scientific community has been warning for some time that it is one of the main risk factors for serious disease (cardiovascular or cancer) is not without controversy, contradictions and hoaxes, even manipulations.
In this context, the latest study that warns about the risk of (excessive) consumption of sugary drinks establishes a connection of these drinks with the risk of suffering from cancer. The research is published in The BMJ magazine.
We must be careful when we establish a connection of any type of food with cancer (both to talk about benefits and harms) , since we are talking about a complex set of diseases that can have a multicausal origin (in fact, chance is one of them). But it cannot be denied that lifestyle (which includes diet) is one of the main risk factors.
That said, the new study adds to a considerable body of evidence gathered in recent years indicating that limiting the consumption of sugary beverages, along with other dietary restrictions, may help reduce the risk of cancer.
While being cautious about the conclusions, the researchers establish that, while the link between obesity and sugary drinks is well known (and obesity is a risk factor for many types of cancer), the direct relationship between sugary drinks and cancer is still somewhat unexplored.
With this in mind, the team of researchers, based in France, set out to evaluate the associations between the consumption of sugary drinks, fruit juices and artificially sweetened beverages and the risk of cancer in general, and more specifically, they took the example of the breast, prostate and colon (colorectal) types.
Method
Their findings were based on a sample of 101,257 healthy French adults (21% male, 79% female) with a mean age of 42 years.
Participants completed at least two dietary questionnaires, designed to measure habitual intake of 3,300 different food and beverage products, and were followed for up to 9 years.
To ensure the reliability of the study, several known risk factors for cancer were taken into account, including age, gender, educational level, family history of cancer, smoking, and levels of physical activity.
Conclusions
During follow-up, 2,193 cancer cases were diagnosed and validated (693 breast cancers, 291 prostate cancers, and 166 colorectal cancers). The mean age at cancer diagnosis was 59 years.
The results showed that an increase of 100 ml per day in the consumption of sugary drinks was associated with an 18% increase in the risk of cancer overall and a 22% increase in the risk of breast cancer. Regarding fruit juices, the consumption of both types of beverages was associated with an increased risk of cancer in general.
In contrast, the consumption of other artificially sweetened beverages was not associated with an increased risk of cancer, but the authors caution that caution is necessary when interpreting this finding due to a relatively low level of consumption in the recorded sample.
Relationship between cancer and sugar
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 related to an increased risk of cancer.
Additionally, other chemical compounds, such as additives in some soft drinks, can also play a harmful role.
This is an observational study, so the cause cannot be established, and the authors say they cannot rule out a misclassification of the drinks or guarantee the detection of every new case of cancer. However, the method helps to reinforce the reliability of the study, as the results remained virtually unchanged after subsequent testing.
The authors have stated that their data serves to reinforce existing nutritional recommendations to limit the consumption of sugary drinks, including fruit juice, as well as political actions, such as taxes and marketing restrictions targeting sugary drinks, that could contribute potentially reducing the incidence of cancer in the population.
