Sugar-sweetened beverages linked to gastric cancer in US study

Researchers in the United States have evaluated the link between beverage consumption and the incidence of gastric cancer. The study, published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances, tracked more than 3.2 million person-years to compare the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs).

The findings indicated that sugar-sweetened drinks, such as regular sodas, energy drinks, and juices with added sugars, showed a notable association with gastric cancer. In contrast, artificially sweetened beverages did not show the same distinction in the study. This research follows previous classifications by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which labeled aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

The prospective cohort study utilized data from two major groups: the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), which included 121,700 female registered nurses, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), which included 51,529 male healthcare professionals.