Cancer Risk Factors
New Studies Link Daily Sugary Drinks and Alcohol Consumption to Higher Cancer Risks
Anonymous
Key Points
1
In the alcohol analysis, researchers reported annual drinking-related cancer deaths rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023 (U.S. adults 20+), and the share of all cancer deaths attributable to alcohol roughly doubled over 33 years.
2
The Lancet Regional Health–Americas study catalogued a broader set of cancers linked to drinking—including prostate and pancreatic cancers in addition to breast, colorectal/rectal, liver, stomach, and head-and-neck cancers—and highlighted differing patterns by sex and age (e.g., colorectal/rectal cancers were the most common causes of death for men aged 20–54).
3
For sugar-sweetened beverages and gastric cancer, the study (Gastro Hep Advances) used data from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, with 278 gastric cancer cases during follow-up among more than 112,000 participants.
4
In that gastric-cancer study, investigators defined sugar-sweetened drinks as including carbonated drinks, punch, lemonade and sports drinks, and found that higher fructose intake (commonly present in sweetened beverages) was also associated with increased gastric cancer risk; senior author Andrew T. Chan said it was “the first study to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer in a U.S. population.”
Two new studies reveal that everyday drinking habits pose serious cancer risks. Lancet Regional Health reports that alcohol-related cancer deaths in the U.S. more than doubled from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, with risk rising even at one drink per day. Separately, Gastro Hep Advances found that daily sugar-sweetened beverages nearly triple stomach cancer risk among women, based on data from over 112,000 American adults.
Alcohol Deaths More Than Double in 33 Years
A University of Miami analysis tracked cancer deaths tied to alcohol consumption from 1990 to 2023. The research shows deaths climbed from 11,361 to 23,126 annually among U.S. adults aged 20 and older. The share of all cancer deaths caused by alcohol roughly doubled over three decades, according to Lancet Regional Health–Americas.
The study identified seven cancer types linked to drinking: breast, colorectal, liver, stomach, head and neck, prostate, and pancreatic. Risk patterns differ by age and sex. For men aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer caused the most alcohol-related deaths. Even light drinking—about one standard drink daily—raises cancer risk, researchers found.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Triple Stomach Cancer Risk
A new Gastro Hep Advances study examined data from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracking 112,000 U.S. adults. Researchers found 278 gastric cancer cases during the follow-up period. Adults who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily had more than double the stomach cancer risk compared to non-drinkers, with stronger associations among women.
The study defined sugar-sweetened drinks as carbonated beverages, punch, lemonade, and sports drinks. High fructose intake—common in these drinks—also linked to increased stomach cancer risk. Importantly, artificially sweetened beverages showed no similar cancer association. Senior author Andrew T. Chan called it "the first study to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer in a U.S. population."
How Alcohol and Sugar Damage Cells Over Time
Both alcohol and added sugars increase cancer risk through similar biological pathways. When the body metabolizes alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that damages DNA and cells. High sugar intake inflames the digestive tract and disrupts the stomach lining, creating conditions where cancer cells can grow.
These findings add to decades of research linking drinking and sugary drinks to disease. Experts say the evidence now strongly supports limiting both as part of cancer prevention. Even moderate daily consumption—one drink or one sugary beverage—carries measurable risk over time.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
13
Articles
38
Reach
51
A
AnonymousAuthor
