Sugary beverages may raise risk of early colorectal cancer

I have written numerous times about the risks of soft drinks, both sugary and chemical laden “sugar free” ones.

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages may raise the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study examined data from 96,000 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II and found that womenwho consumed more than two sugar-sweetened beverages a day had more than double the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer when compared with women who drank less than one sugary drink a week.

According to the study, each 8-ounce sugary drink consumed per day was linked to a 16% higher risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. The researchers also found that the effects were particularly striking among teenagers who drank sugary beverages: Each daily serving consumed between ages 13 and 18 was associated with a 32% higher risk of early onset of the disease.

In a July 18, 2021, article in Prevention, lead author Jinhee Hur, a research fellow in the Department of Nutrition, suggested swapping sugary drinks for water, milk, or unsweetened coffee or tea. Hur also noted that eating less red and processed meat and minimizing alcohol consumption may help mitigate the risk of colorectal cancer.

Read the Prevention article: Sugary Drinks Spike Risk of Early Colorectal Cancer in Young People, Study Suggests