Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Drinks Associated with Cancer Risk

by | Dec 16, 2019 | 2019, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Sweeteners

Written by Joyce Smith, BS. The consumption of sugary drinks was significantly associated with an increased risk of overall cancer and breast cancer.

Over the last ten years the consumption of sugary drinks has increased worldwide, and from 1990  to  2016, sugary drink consumption has increased its contribution to the Global Burden of Disease by more than 40%  1.  Sugary drinks are associated with increased risk of weight gain and obesity 2, higher incidence of Type 2 diabetes (independent of adiposity) 3, hypertension 4, and even cardiometabolic death 5.  Artificially sweetened beverages were initially proposed as a healthier substitute for sugary beverages; however, they are also associated with a higher incidence of obesity 6, hypertension 7, and type 2 diabetes 6, and are thought to increase glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota 8.

The limited availability of research on sugary drinks and their potential cancer risk prompted Touvier and team to address a potential association between the consumption of sugary drinks (sugar sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juices), artificially sweetened (diet) beverages, and the risk of overall cancer as well as breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The population-based prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort study involved 101,257 healthy French adults (21% men; 79% women) with an average of 42 years of age at the time of study inclusion. NutriNet-Santé is a French, web-based cohort that was established in 2009-2017 with the aim of studying associations between nutrition and health. Participants were required to complete from two to fifteen 24-hour online validated dietary questionnaires which were designed to record the usual intake of 3,300 different food and beverage items. They were followed up for a maximum of 9 years (2009-2018).

After a follow-up mean time of 5.1 years, researchers found that a 100 mL per day increase  in sugary drink consumption was significantly associated with an 18% increased risk of overall cancer (HR 1.18, 95%CI 1.10 to 1.27, P<0.0001) and a 22% increased risk of  breast cancer (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.39, P=0.004). No associations were detected for prostate and colorectal cancers. The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was not associated with the risk of cancer.  In specific subanalyses, the consumption of 100 % fruit juice was also significantly associated with the risk of overall cancer (HR1.12, 95% CI1.03 to 1.23, P=0.007).

If these results can be replicated in Western countries, sugar consumption could potentially be a modifiable risk factor for cancer prevention. The results support the existing nutritional recommendation to restrict sugary drinks, including 100 % fruit juices. Policy actions such as taxing sugary drinks and restricting marketing might also help reduce sugar consumption and cancer risk.

Source: Chazelas, Eloi, Bernard Srour, Elisa Desmetz, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Chantal Julia, Valérie Deschamps, Nathalie Druesne-Pecollo et al. “Sugary drink consumption and risk of cancer: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort.” bmj 366 (2019): l2408.

© Open Access

Posted December 16, 2019.

Joyce Smith, BS, is a degreed laboratory technologist. She received her bachelor of arts with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Biology from  the University of Saskatchewan and her internship through the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She currently resides in Bloomingdale, IL.

References:

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