Sweet beverages likely to increase the risk of getting gastric cancer
Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the world. Several factors, including family history, H. pylori infection (gastritis), male sex, older age, alcohol intake, tobacco use, higher intake of salted fish, pickles, and grilled meat, and low intake of fruits and vegetables, have been found to significantly contribute to the risk of developing gastric cancer.
In a recently published study in the Gastro Hep Advances Journal, scientists observed the eating habits of 11,284 people for over 28 years in relation to developing gastric cancer. The result was alarming. They found out that people who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly carbonated drinks, punch, lemonades, and sports drinks, at least once daily, were about 2.45 times, or 145%, more likely to develop gastric cancer compared to those who did not consume them at all. This also means that gastric cancer risks increased steadily as the consumption of sugary drinks increased.
The study also compared sugar-sweetened beverages with beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Artificial sweeteners have been categorized as possible carcinogens due to the presence of fructose corn syrup. Despite this, sugar-sweetened beverages were still more strongly associated with higher gastric cancer risks. The consumption of sweetened beverages has been linked to several cancers, including colorectal, breast, and liver cancers, but its association with gastric cancer had not yet been established prior to this study.
Although the precise mechanisms behind the carcinogenic effect of sugary beverages are still unknown, the authors proposed weight gain, insulin resistance, steroid hormone imbalance, inflammation, DNA damage, and dysbiosis as possible underlying mechanisms.
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