Drinking Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Could More Than Double the Risk of Stomach Cancer, Study Finds

A new study found that drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day could more than double the risk of stomach cancer compared with drinking less than one a month. The research suggests a link between the two for the first time.

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New research has suggested a link between sugar-sweetened beverages and stomach cancer for the first time

Scientists analyzed decades of health data from over 112,000 people and found that drinking one or more each day had a 2.45 times higher risk of developing stomach cancer compared to those who drank less than one a month

“Most people who drink sugary beverages could choose to cut back or substitute something else,” senior study author Dr. Andrew T. Chan told Healthline

A new study has suggested a link between sugary drinks and stomach cancer for the first time.

The study, published in the Gastro Hep Advances journal on Monday, Aug. 17, found that drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day could more than double the risk of the cancer.

Researchers analyzed health data from more than 112,000 people who took part in large studies in 1976 and 1986. The participants were followed for several years and answered questions about their diet and lifestyle.

Over the following decades, 278 of them developed stomach cancer.

It was found that those who consumed at least one sugary drink each day, including carbonated sodas, sports drinks and lemonade, had a 2.45 times higher risk of developing stomach cancer compared to those who drank less than one a month.

Previous research had linked sugary drinks with a higher risk of colorectal, breast and liver cancer, senior study author Dr. Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, told Healthline.

“Given how almost 65% of U.S. adults consume at least one of these beverages a day, it seemed important to ask whether that same relationship might extend to stomach cancer,” he told the outlet.

Per the Mayo Clinic, it’s not known exactly what causes stomach cancer, but experts believe it often starts when something hurts the organ’s inside lining, such as an infection, long-term acid reflux or eating a lot of salty or smoky foods.

Chan explained that, if future research provides more evidence of the link, cutting back on sugary drinks could be a simple way for people to lower their risk of stomach cancer, which he said is often diagnosed at a later stage, when treatment options can be more limited.

“Unlike some cancers with established screening programs, there isn’t a standard screening test for stomach cancer in the U.S.,” he told Healthline. “Thus, prevention of stomach cancer through modifying risk factors such as diet is critical.”

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Chan told the outlet that some people may decide to swap sugary drinks out for alternatives. Sugar-free drinks and those sweetened with artificial ingredients, were not associated with an increase in stomach cancer risk in the study.

Scientists are still exploring links between artificial sweeteners and cancer risk, however, so they shouldn’t be assumed to carry no risk at all.

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