Daily Sugary Drinks Associated With Higher Risk of Stomach Cancer

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages every day may be associated with a substantially higher risk of developing stomach cancer, according to a new study from researchers at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute.

The findings, published in Gastro Hep Advances, add to growing evidence linking frequent consumption of sugary drinks with several types of cancer. Researchers say the study provides the first evidence of an association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and stomach cancer in a U.S. population.

Daily Consumption Linked to More Than Twice the Risk

The researchers analyzed health, lifestyle and dietary data from 112,284 participants enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants were followed for several decades, during which 278 cases of stomach cancer were recorded.

After accounting for other potential risk factors, people who consumed at least one serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage every day had a 2.45-fold higher risk of developing stomach cancer than those who consumed less than one serving per month.

The association was observed in both men and women.

Higher overall consumption of fructose — the main sweetener found in many sugary beverages — was also associated with a greater incidence of stomach cancer. Among women participating in the Nurses' Health Study, drinking more than one sugar-sweetened beverage per day was associated with a 3.04-fold higher risk compared with women who rarely consumed these drinks.

The researchers classified sugar-sweetened beverages as carbonated soft drinks, fruit punch, lemonade and sports drinks.

Artificially Sweetened Drinks Showed No Similar Association

The study found a different pattern for artificially sweetened beverages.

After other factors were taken into account, higher consumption of low-calorie carbonated drinks containing artificial sweeteners was not associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer.

The researchers also investigated the possible role of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to increase the risk of gastric cancer. Among a subset of 940 participants whose H. pylori status was available, just over one-third showed evidence of infection.

However, the researchers found no association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and H. pylori infection.

Researchers Caution That the Findings Do Not Prove Cause and Effect

Despite the strong association, the study does not establish that sugary drinks directly cause stomach cancer.

The research was observational, meaning that scientists analyzed existing patterns in participants' diets and health rather than assigning people to consume specific beverages. Other factors that were not fully measured could therefore partly explain the results.

The study also had limited information about participants' H. pylori status and family history of stomach cancer. In addition, most participants were White, limiting the ability to assess whether the association differs across racial and ethnic groups.

At the same time, the researchers point out that the large study population and decades of detailed information on diet, lifestyle and health allowed them to account for many potential risk factors.

More Research Needed

The researchers say additional studies are needed to confirm the association and determine why regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages might be linked to stomach cancer.

The findings are particularly relevant because sugary drinks are widely consumed. About 65% of U.S. adults report drinking at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day.

Stomach cancer remains a major global health problem and is among the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Understanding whether dietary habits contribute to its development could help identify potentially modifiable risk factors.

For now, the study shows an association rather than a proven causal relationship, but it adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages may have important long-term health consequences.

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