People who drink two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day have 5% increased risk of death from obesity-related cancer, says new study by American Cancer Society and published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Sample article from our Consumer Wellness

September 16, 2022 (press release) –

In a large study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS), men and women who drank two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) per day, compared to people who never drank, had a five percent increased risk of death from an obesity-related cancer, including gastrointestinal, postmenopausal breast, endometrial and kidney cancer. These results appear to be related to the higher body mass index (BMI) of the participants who regularly drank SSBs. BMI is a measure of body size, combining a person’s weight with their height, showing whether a person has a healthy weight. The study was published today in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Unfortunately, Americans exceed recommended limits on sugar consumption by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and sugar-sweetened beverages are known risk factors for weight gain, being overweight, and obesity,” said Dr. Marjorie McCullough, senior scientific director, epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. “Our findings further support the recommendation to limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages included in the ACS Guideline on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention to help decrease the risk of disease.”

For the study, researchers examined the associations of SSBs and artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) with mortality from all cancers combined, obesity-related cancers combined, and 20 cancer types, among men and women in the Cancer Prevention Study-II (CPS-II) prospective cohort. In 1982, more than nine hundred thousand cancer-free participants provided information on usual SSB and ASB consumption. Deaths were identified through 2016. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models examined associations of beverage types with cancer mortality, without and with BMI adjustment.

During the study follow-up, 135,093 CPS-II participants died from cancer. Results showed that consumption by men and women of greater than two SSB drinks a day versus people who never drank was not associated with all-cancer mortality, but was associated with increased risk of obesity-related cancers combined, which became null after adjustment for BMI. SSBs were associated with increased mortality from colorectal, and kidney cancers, which remained after BMI adjustment. A positive association of ASB consumption with obesity-related cancers was null after controlling for BMI; however, an increased risk of pancreatic cancer remained even with BMI adjustment. Researchers add associations between ASB consumption and increased pancreatic cancer risk merit further study.

“Future research should consider the role of BMI in studies of sweetened beverages and cancer risk,” McCullough adds. “These results should inform public policy regarding sweetened beverage consumption to decrease the risk of cancer for men and women in the U.S.”

McCullough also adds while most artificial sweeteners are generally thought to be safe, artificial sweetener use in the U.S. is increasing and whether these exposures are associated with cancer risk in humans remains of interest.

Dr. Alpa Patel is senior author of the study.

The ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention can be found here.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.

See our dashboard in action - schedule an demo
Chelsey Quick
Chelsey Quick
- VP Client Success -

We offer built-to-order consumer wellness coverage for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation.

About Us

We deliver market news & information relevant to your business.

We monitor all your market drivers.

We aggregate, curate, filter and map your specific needs.

We deliver the right information to the right person at the right time.

Our Contacts

1990 S Bundy Dr. Suite #380,
Los Angeles, CA 90025

+1 (310) 553 0008

About Cookies On This Site

We collect data, including through use of cookies and similar technology ("cookies") that enchance the online experience. By clicking "I agree", you agree to our cookies, agree to bound by our Terms of Use, and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. For more information on our data practices and how to exercise your privacy rights, please see our Privacy Policy.