Sugar-sweetened soft drinks increase breast cancer risk

Relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and breast cancer incidence

It has long been known that sweet soft drinks are not good for your health. Especially women should do without it. As researchers from Spain have now shown in a study, there is a connection between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and the incidence of breast cancer.

Unhealthy soft drinks

"Sugar sweetened drinks should generally be drunk only in small amounts, because they contain many calories and can contribute to the emergence of obesity," writes the German Nutrition Society (DGE) on its website. In addition, the frequent consumption of sodas and coke can lead to health problems such as tooth decay, high blood pressure and diabetes. And soft drinks seem to increase the risk of breast cancer, as Spanish researchers have now found out.

Sugar-sweetened soft drinks seem to increase breast cancer risk. Spanish researchers have found this out in a study of over 10,000 women. (Image: airborne77 / fotolia.com)

Risk factors for breast cancer

Breast cancer, also called breast cancer, is the most common malignant tumor in women. In Germany alone, up to 70,000 new cases are counted each year.

As with most other cancers, the root causes are unknown. However, some risk factors for breast cancer are known.

Among other things, the risk increases with age, family history, genetic changes and smoking. Also, much body fat, more frequent consumption of processed meat and high cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

In addition, a higher insulin resistance may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer, researchers from the University of Navarra in Pamplona (Spain) in the journal "European Journal of Nutrition".

Important hormone

The hormone insulin is needed by the human body to absorb sugar, which is present in the blood after eating, into the body cells, where it is then consumed.

However, when the body is no longer optimally responsive to insulin, becoming resistant to insulin, insulin resistance is mentioned.

There are several possible causes that cause insulin resistance to develop.

Among other things, dietary factors play a role and, above all, the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks such as cola, soda or ice tea.

Soft drinks can increase insulin resistance

The Spanish scientists also write that sugar-sweetened drinks are a recognized factor that increases insulin resistance.

However, the link between such drinks and breast cancer has not been extensively studied.

In their study, the experts therefore looked at the relationship between the consumption of soft drinks and the incidence of breast cancer in relatively young women.

Data from more than 10,000 university graduates analyzed

Researchers analyzed data from a total of 10,713 middle-aged Spanish graduates (average age 33) from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra cohort (SUN).

All participants were free from breast cancer at the beginning of the study.

At baseline, subjects' consumption of sweetened drinks was recorded using a nutritional questionnaire.

The incidence of breast cancer was confirmed by a trained oncologist on the basis of medical records.

More diseases in postmenopausal women

During the observation period, 100 women fell ill with breast cancer.

The researchers found that in post-menopausal women, regular consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer than women who never or rarely consumed such drinks.

In premenopausal women no association was found.

The study authors' conclusion: Although the number of cases was low, a direct relationship was observed between the consumption of sweetened drinks and the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Nevertheless, further larger longitudinal studies are needed to prove this connection. (Ad)