New study links daily sugary drink consumption to increased stomach cancer risk

A new study published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances has identified a potential link between the daily consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of stomach cancer. Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute analyzed data from 112,284 participants involved in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which tracked health and lifestyle habits over several decades.

The findings reveal that individuals who consume at least one sugary drink per day are 2.45 times more likely to develop stomach cancer compared to those who drink them less than once a month. According to lead researcher Andrew Chan, this is the first study to establish such a correlation in the United States. While sugary drinks have already been associated with over 180,000 annual deaths globally, this research provides critical new data on the role of diet in gastric malignancies. Notably, the study found no increased risk associated with the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages.