Drinking a soda or sugary juice every day seems commonplace, but this habit is linked to a higher risk of
stomach cancer. In a country where 65% of adults drink sugary drinks daily, the signal is striking.
A team from the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute reports that only one sweet drink per day is associated with a more than doubled risk of gastric cancer. A result that is surprising, but which does not mean that a sugary drink “gives” cancer.
A trivial gesture that brings out an unexpected signal
Researchers analyzed 112,284 adults from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study cohorts, 278 of whom developed gastric cancer. The study, conducted by Tae-Geun Gweon and Dr. Andrew T. Chan, relied on repeated dietary questionnaires, where one amount of drink corresponded to 240 ml. Sugary drinks included regular sodas, energy drinks, punches, lemonades, sports drinks and juices with added sugars, dominated by fructose. The researchers adjusted their calculations to take into account smoking, alcohol, weight and other lifestyle habits.
Result: consuming at least one sugary drink every day is associated with a risk of gastric cancer multiplied by 2.45 compared to almost zero consumption. Sweetened drinks, defined as low-calorie sodas, did not show an increased risk in this analysis. Higher intake of total fructose was also linked to more cancers, especially in women.
The figure immediately catches the eye: participants who consumed at least one sugary drink per day had a 2.45 times higher risk of gastric cancer than those who drank very little.
But this figure does not mean that 2.45 times more people developed cancer. This is a statistical association observed during follow-up, not proof that a sugary drink directly causes the disease.
But should we really be worried about this result?
For Dr. Andrew T. Chan, gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, “This is the first study showing an association between sugary beverage consumption and gastric cancer in a US population.“. He also points out that “Gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but we knew very little about how diet could contribute to this cancer.“. The team recalls that this work remains observational and does not prove a cause and effect link.
One point is essential to understand the result: the absolute risk remains low. Of the 112,284 participants followed, 278 developed gastric cancer. The figure of 2.45 therefore corresponds to a relative increase in the risk observed among daily consumers, and not to a 245% risk of developing the disease.
At a population level, the impact becomes more worrying, and other studies have already linked sugary drinks to colon, breast or liver cancer. Above all, this invites you to gradually reduce these drinks in your daily diet, rather than giving in to panic.
Why do researchers suspect sugary drinks?
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is known to increase the risk of stomach cancer. The researchers therefore examined the H. pylori status in a subgroup of 940 participants. Although just over a third of these individuals showed signs of H. pylori infection, no correlation was found between consumption of sugary drinks and this infection. Researchers suggest several possible mechanisms, including weight gain, insulin resistance and inflammation. At this stage, these hypotheses remain to be confirmed.
A signal to watch out for, not a reason to panic
However, should we permanently ban soda or sugary juice? No. This study does not allow us to confirm this. The authors write that “future studies are needed to confirm these results and explore the biological mechanisms at play“.
But these results remind us that a seemingly innocuous eating habit can, when repeated day after day, become a real public health issue. To reduce your consumption, gradually replacing these drinks with water or an unsweetened drink remains a simple gesture, without waiting until you are afraid of cancer to do it.