Sugary Drink Consumption Linked to Higher Liver Cancer Risk

An international research team analyzed health data from more than 1.5 million adults who were cancer‑free at the start of the study. Over an 18‑year follow‑up, 2,811 participants were diagnosed with liver cancer. The analysis, which adjusted for age, sex, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and obesity, found that regular intake of sugary drinks was associated with a higher incidence of liver cancer. Each additional sugary drink per day increased the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma by about 10 % and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by about 15 %.

A separate experimental study published in Nature Aging reported that high levels of fructose – a major component of many sweetened beverages and processed foods – can stimulate pathways that promote the spread of cancer cells in an ovarian‑cancer model. While the laboratory findings are limited to animal models, they suggest a possible mechanism for the epidemiological link. Experts caution that the association does not prove direct causation, but they recommend limiting added sugars and high‑fructose foods as a precautionary measure for overall health and cancer prevention.