The New York Times (7/10, Bakalar) reports that research “suggests there may be a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juices and the development of cancer.” In the study, which “involved 101,257 people,” compared “with the lowest one-quarter for sugary drink consumption, the highest one-quarter had a 30 percent higher risk for any cancer, and a 37 percent higher risk for breast cancer.” The findings were published in BMJ.
Bloomberg (7/10, Fourcade) reports, “Increased daily consumption of about 3.4 ounces of soda – roughly a third of a can of Coke – was associated with an 18% greater risk of some cancers.” The study also found that “when people drank the same amount of unsweetened fruit juice, they were also more likely to develop cancer.”
Reuters (7/10, Kelland) reports that although “the evidence cannot establish a direct causal link, researchers said on Thursday,” the findings “do suggest, however, that limiting intake of sugar-sweetened drinks may help to cut the number of cancer cases in a population.”
Information about the ADA’s nutrition-related activities is available at ADA.org/nutrition. Dentists can refer patients to MouthHealthy.org, ADA’s consumer website, for up-to-date and evidenced-based information about nutrition.