Results of a study by French scientists looking at a potential link between sugary drink consumption and cancer have been published in the BMJ this week.
Picking up on the news, a number of media outlets ran stories stating that sugar in drinks may indeed raise an individual's risk of developing cancer, though several members of the scientific community have stressed the need for more research to be carried out before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
The study defined a sugary drink as any drink containing more than 5% sugar. This includes fruit juices (even those with no added sugar), soft drinks, milkshakes, energy drinks, and tea or coffee with sugar stirred in. Researchers obtained data from 100,000 participants over five years. Although more instances of cancer were found in those who consumed more of these drinks, the study did not provide a definitive causal link.
In comments published by the Guardian, CTC senior statistician Graham Wheeler further warned against making any premature conclusions: 'Whilst there was some evidence for an association between sugary drink consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer, the same association was not found for colorectal or prostate cancers. Further research into the biological mechanism between sugary drink consumption and specific cancers is needed to establish if one does indeed cause the other.'
Graham's comments appeared in a number of publications, and you can read their coverage below.
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