A study links sugary drinks to an increased risk of endometrial cancer, the fourth leading cause of female cancer.
A high consumption of sugary drinks – such as sodas or fruit juices – increases the risk of obesity and type II diabetes. In industrialized countries, obesity is associated with half of endometrial cancers type I (linked to estrogen level). Faced with these data, a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota (United States) attempted to associate endometrial cancer with sugary drinks. The results of their study appeared on November 22 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The researchers conclude that the consumption of these drinks is a risk factor for endometrial cancer.
78% more risk
In France, this cancer is the fourth cause of female cancer. In 80% of cases of type I endometrial cancer, the most common, the disease begins after menopause when estrogen levels drop. This is when the risk is highest for a woman. Epidemiological studies show that consuming drinks with added sugars increases exposure to the disease, the study notes. To verify this, the researchers interviewed 23,000 postmenopausal women. Among them, 592 developed endometrial cancer, 506 of which were type I. All of them answered a questionnaire on their lifestyle, their medical record and their eating habits.
Analysis of the data indicates that many factors increase the risk: higher age, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), estrogen therapy, the presence of diabetes… The weekly dose of sugary drinks plays a role. also a significant role in the occurrence of endometrial cancer. The prevalence of cancer increases steadily and significantly with the amount of drinks consumed. Women in the highest quintile (20%) (4 or more drinks) have a 72% increased risk of developing the disease than those in the lowest quintile. Taking into account the BMI, the risk is increased by 78%.
Obesity and sugary drinks
“We found that consuming sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk of type I endometrial cancer, regardless of BMI, physical activity, diabetes or smoking. Likewise, an increased risk of type I endometrial cancer has been linked to higher sugar consumption, ”the authors conclude.
Such an association is easily explained. In the United States, the consumption of sugary drinks, mainly soda, has increased as the prevalence of obesity has increased. Epidemiological studies also show that endometrial cancers disproportionately affect obese women. This study offers other more astonishing avenues. Smoking and the number of pregnancies carried to term decrease the risk of developing the disease. Fruit juices, on the other hand, almost halve the risk of developing endometrial cancer. It will now be necessary to explain how sugars influence estrogen levels.
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