- Daily consumption of carbonated or other sugary drinks may be associated with a higher risk of liver cancer, a new study shows.
- The added sugar in the drinks can affect insulin and blood sugar levels, which can stress the liver.
- Sugar is also linked to inflammation and the accumulation of fat around the liver, both risk factors for cancer.
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Drinking at least one sweet drink a day may be associated with a significantly higher risk of liver cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Nutrition Society, NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE, held June 14-16.
Researchers from a number of institutions, including the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, looked at data from 90,504 menopausal women, ages 50 to 79, for nearly 19 years of follow-up. They wanted to see if there was a pattern between consuming sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit drinks, and the risk of liver cancer.
They found that women who drank at least one sugary drink a day were 73 percent more likely to develop liver cancer than women who drank three or fewer sugary drinks a month. Women who drink one or more sugary drinks a day have a 78% higher risk, according to the data.
Liver cancer is the 6th most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the world, according to the International Fund for Cancer Research, and both deaths and related deaths are on the rise in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
Prior to the study, evidence suggested that other beverage habits may affect the risk of liver cancer, such as drinking at higher risk and drinking coffee at lower risk.
The study found that reducing sugary drinks could help reduce the risk of liver cancer if more research confirmed the link, according to Longgang Zhao, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at the University of South Carolina.
“Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water and coffee or sugar-free tea can significantly reduce the risk of liver cancer,” Zhao said in a statement.
Sugar drinks can impair insulin sensitivity, causing a variety of health problems
Researchers have suggested that sugary drinks will increase the risk of liver cancer due to the side effects of sugar. Eating too much sugar can make people less sensitive to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar. High sugar intake can also lead to weight gain, increasing the risk of developing fat around the liver. Both factors can be detrimental to liver health and are strongly linked to cancer risk, researchers say.
However, more research is needed to better understand the link between sugary drinks and liver cancer. The study is limited in that it is observational, noting a link between liver cancer and sugary drinks, and does not directly show that sugary drinks cause cancer. And it is unclear whether the link may be true for other populations, such as men and younger women, the researchers wrote.
As some evidence suggests that people are either maintaining their drinking habits or increasing their consumption, understanding the risks can help people make healthier decisions about their daily beverage choices, Zhao said in a presentation.
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