Patriot Health Digest
You already understand that sipping on sugary drinks can increase your risks of certain chronic diseases, but a fresh study shows another one to put onto your radar: Your soda habit might increase your chances of getting early-onset colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer for both genders in the U.S.
In the study, which was released in the journal Gut, scientists used a study where almost 96,000 people reported what they drank every four years.
They found that people who consumed two or more sugary beverages every day had over double the risk of getting early-onset colon cancer (before turning 50) compared to those who consumed less than one sugary drink per week.
Each 8-ounce drink each day was linked to a 16% higher risk of getting the disease early. Meanwhile, between 13 and 18 years old, every daily serving was linked with a 32% greater risk. Overall, 109 people from the study developed early-onset colorectal cancer.
“These drinks include carbonated or non-carbonated drinks which are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and sugar, including soft drinks, punches, sweetened iced tea and even fruit drinks,” explains the leader of the study, Jinhee Hur, Ph.D., a research scientists at the dept. of nutrition at Harvard.
While researchers understand too much sugar can harm the human body, they are still not sure about what the connection is between these beverages and early-onset colon cancer.
The theory is that sweet beverages are less filling, and this leads to over consumption of calories. This then leads to obesity and insulin resistance or even type 2 diabetes. All of these increase your chances of getting colon cancer. In fact, among the top risk for getting colorectal cancer is consuming a Western-style diet, which is usually low in gut-helpful fiber and high in processed junk foods.
To greatly lower your risk, change out your sugary drinks with milk, water or unsweetened tea or coffee. Then, take a new look at your eating habits. Doctors suggests consuming less red meat, which is also linked with a greater risk of colon cancer, and lowering your alcohol intake.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
