Study: Even one sugary drink a day sharply increases risk of stomach cancer

A new American study has found a link between daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and an increased risk of stomach cancer. People who drank more than one serving per day had a 2.45 times higher risk compared to those who drank less than one serving per month. Diet drinks were not associated with this risk.

A new American study published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances has identified a link between high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and an increased risk of stomach cancer. The study is based on data collected over decades from more than 112,000 nurses and healthcare workers. During the follow-up period, stomach cancer was diagnosed in 278 participants. People who consumed more than one serving of sugary drinks per day had a 2.45 times higher risk of the disease compared to those who drank less than one serving per month. The risk was higher for women—3.04 times—and for men it was 1.99 times. Diet drinks were not associated with an increased risk. Professor Gil Bar-Sela, director of the oncology center at HaEmek Medical Center, noted that high consumption of sugary drinks is linked to obesity, diabetes, and some types of cancer, but there is no need to panic over an occasional can of soda. The researchers also examined fructose consumption and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, but found no link between sugary drinks and infection with this bacterium.