A few sips of soda could increase cancer risk, new research finds

New research found that even a small increase in the sugary drinks you consume might increase one’s risk of cancer.

Drinking about 3.4 ounces per day of sugary drinks was associated with a 22% increased risk of breast cancer and an 18% increased risk of cancer overall, according to an observational study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal. A typical soda can contains 12 ounces.

Sugary drinks in the study include 100% fruit juices, soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and hot beverages with more than 5% sugar.

“Given the large consumption of sugary drinks in Western countries, these beverages would represent a modifiable risk factor for cancer prevention, beyond their well established impact on cardiometabolic health,” study authors wrote.

Researchers said the link between sugary drinks and cancer might be partly explained by their effect on weight gain, since obesity is considered a risk factor for several types of cancer.

But their results suggest the relationship was “strongly driven by the sugar content,” although other chemical additives might play a role.

Study authors said more research needs to be done on the subject, since the study was observational and thus can’t prove that sugary drinks directly cause cancer and other factors can’t be ruled out.

The research found no link between artificially sweetened beverages and an increased cancer risk. A possible connection arose when 1970s studies suggested a possible link to bladder cancer in laboratory animals, according to the National Cancer Institute, but subsequent studies have found no clear evidence of an association with cancer in humans.

Researchers analyzed data collected between 2009 and 2017 from a nutrition survey in France called NutriNet-Santé that involved 101,257 healthy adults.

The consumption of sugary drinks was tracked through at least two daily diet recall questionnaires designed to measure participants’ intake of 3,300 food and beverage items, including 97 types of sugary drinks.

During the study, nearly 2,200 cases of cancer were diagnosed, including 693 cases of breast cancer. Beverage industry groups say sugary drinks are safe.

“It’s important for people to know that all beverages, either with sugar or without, are safe to consume as part of a balanced diet,” Danielle Smotkin, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, said in a statement.

“That said, America’s leading beverage companies are working together to support consumer efforts to reduce the sugar they consume from our beverages by providing more choices with less sugar or zero sugar, smaller package sizes and clear calorie information right up front.”