Scientists Find Strong Link Between Sugary Soda and Cancer
In a new study, scientists have found an alarming link between sugary soda and oral cancer.
As United Press International reports, new research out of the University of Washington found that women who drink at least one full-sugar soft drink per day appear to be about five times more likely to get oral cavity cancer (OCC) than their counterparts who avoid such beverages.
Typically thought of as a cancer primarily affecting older men who smoke and drink, instances of OCC have, as UPI notes, been rising steadily among women — including those who don't smoke or drink, or do so sparingly. The five-year survival rate for OCC, which causes painful sores on either the lips or the gums and can spread down the throat if left untreated, is only 64.3 percent.
In a new paper published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, the University of Washington researchers looked at long-term healthcare data for more than 162,000 healthcare workers from the Nurses' Health Study and identified 124 cases of OCC among them. Crunching the numbers, the researchers found that people who drink at least one sugary soda beverage per day were at a 4.87 times greater risk of developing OCC than their counterparts who had less than one such drink per month.
For those who don't smoke or drink — or do so lightly — the numbers were even more stark: those who consumed one or more sugary soda per day were 5.46 more likely to develop OCC than people who drink less than one per month.
