A young boy with a drink in a glass (Image: Getty)
According to a new study, young people who drink just two sodas a day could be more than twice as likely to develop colon cancer before age 50. The research suggests that drinking one small can, or eight fluid ounces, a day can increase the risk by 16 percent, jumping to 33 percent during adolescence.
This includes all types of carbonated beverages, from soft drinks to sports drinks.
This worrying finding could be contributing to an alarming rise in early-onset colorectal cancer – a cancer that is the second deadliest in the UK. It is worth noting that the average Briton drinks almost a can of fizzy drink every day.
In response to these findings, lead researcher Dr. Yin Cao called for targeted initiatives to curb this type of consumption among young people. He stated: “It could serve as a possible strategy to alleviate the growing burden.”
Interestingly, the study found that replacing sugary sodas with artificially sweetened beverages, coffee, or low-fat or whole milk reduced the risk by 17 to 36 percent. This discovery came after tracking the eating habits of 95,464 female nurses in the United States who were between the ages of 25 and 42, Wales Online reports.
Over a period of nearly 24 years, beginning in 1991, these women reported their food and beverage consumption every four years using validated questionnaires. In addition, 41,272 participants also recorded what they consumed between the ages of 13 and 18.
It’s no surprise that during the study, 109 participants were diagnosed with colon cancer before the age of 50. The researchers found that their higher rates were immediately noticeable in their regular soda intake.
Researchers of the study took into account additional factors such as health conditions, lifestyle activities and body mass index (BMI) of their teenage subjects. The study also took into account the use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or vitamin supplements and family history of the disease.
Dr. Cao of Washington University in St. Louis said: “These drinks are becoming increasingly popular, especially among teens and young adults.”
The study, published in Gut magazine, is groundbreaking in the link between sugary drinks and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in adults. The number of cases of early-onset colorectal cancer has increased dramatically over the past two decades, but the cause remains unknown.
The international team further added to the idea that there are “biologically plausible explanations” that support the study’s findings. Because sugary drinks often suppress the feeling of fullness, overconsumption may subsequently lead to weight gain.
Several experiments have shown that simple sugary drinks cause rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin secretion, which can set the stage for inflammation, obesity and type 2 diabetes. In addition, growing research suggests that ingredients such as glucose and high-fructose corn syrup, commonly found in carbonated beverages, may promote the growth of colon tumors.
Recent studies have shown that these types of beverages weaken the intestinal barrier, allowing tumors to flourish. In the United States, people in their 20s and 30s have a dangerously higher risk of colon cancer, four times higher than people born around 1950.
Disgustingly, the primary source of added sugars in the American diet comes from soft drinks, which make up an alarming 39 percent. And shockingly, 12 percent of the population drinks more than three 8 fl oz servings per day.
Dr. Cao revealed: “A recent study showed that mice treated with high fructose corn syrup had substantial colon tumor growth with an aggressive grade. This was independent of obesity and metabolic syndrome – providing further support for the link between sugary drinks and colorectal cancer risk.”
Corn syrup, a combination of glucose and fructose, is often used as a sweetener in American beverages, while in the UK cane sugar, which has similar amounts of glucose and fructose, is commonly used.
Notably, excessive consumption has already been linked to increased risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Cao explained: “Given the well-known negative health consequences and the highest consumption being characterized by adolescents and young adults under 50 years of age, our findings highlight the public health importance of limiting intake for better outcomes.”
However, the study mainly involved white women, so the results may not apply to men or other ethnic and racial groups, she noted. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United Kingdom, claiming more than 16,000 lives each year.