New research suggests that having at least one soda drink a day could be associated with a significantly higher risk of stomach cancer. In a study published on August 17 in the Gastro Hep Advances journal, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute analyzed decades of data from more than 100,000 people and found that daily consumers had more than twice the risk of developing gastric cancer compared with those who rarely drank these beverages.
The study included regular soda, energy drinks, and juice with added sugars. “This is the first study to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer in a US population,” said senior author Dr. Andrew T. Chan in a news release.
But the researchers noted that the findings show an association, not proof that sugary drinks directly cause cancer. They also stressed that their study had limitations, including a predominantly white group of adults aged 30 to 75 and limited information about some participants’ health and family history.
Across the US, 63% of adults aged 18 or older reported drinking sugar-sweetened beverages one or more times daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Indeed, gastric cancer can develop in any part of the stomach and is generally harder to treat when detected at an advanced stage. Click through to learn more about stomach cancer and its risk factors.