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Sugary Drinks Double Bowel Cancer Risk Before 50
6 Mar
Summary
- Two daily sugary drinks double bowel cancer risk before 50.
- Risk increased by 16% per daily serving, 32% during adolescence.
- Replacing drinks with healthier alternatives cut risk by 36%.
Fresh research published in the journal Gut highlights a concerning link between sugar-sweetened drinks and bowel cancer. Adults consuming two or more such beverages daily face a "doubling" in their risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 50, with women being particularly affected.
Data indicates that these sugar-laden drinks contribute significantly to sugar intake. The study, which tracked participants over 24 years, found that women drinking two or more servings daily were twice as susceptible. Each additional daily serving raised the risk by 16%, a figure that escalated to 32% per serving during adolescence.
Encouragingly, substituting sugar-sweetened drinks with alternatives like artificially sweetened beverages, coffee, or milk was associated with a 36% drop in bowel cancer risk. Researchers suggest that reducing intake among adolescents and young adults could be a key strategy to combat the growing burden of early-onset bowel cancer.
