A new study involving nearly 100,000 American women has revealed a significant association between daily consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of both liver cancer and chronic liver disease.
The research, published in the medical journal Jama Network Open, provides important insights into the potential health consequences of regular sugar-sweetened beverage intake.
However, it also highlights that artificially-flavored drinks did not lead to a similar rise in the risk of liver cancer.
High Prevalence of Sugar-Sweetened Drink Consumption:
With an estimated 65 percent of US adults drinking sugar-sweetened beverages daily, understanding the health implications becomes crucial.
Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the incidence of liver cancer has tripled in the past three decades in the United States.
Study Design and Participants:
The study utilized data from 98,786 post-menopausal American women aged between 50 and 79, enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative between 1993 and 1998.
The participants’ sugary drink intake was monitored over an average period of more than 20 years, with follow-ups lasting until March 2020.
Associations between Sugary Drink Consumption and Liver Cancer:
The research team found that women who consumed one or more servings of sugar-sweetened drinks each day had a significantly higher risk of developing liver cancer (18 cases per 100,000 person-years) compared to those who consumed three or fewer servings per month (10.3 cases per 100,000 person-years).
Similarly, the risk of chronic liver disease mortality was elevated in women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages daily (17.7 cases per 100,000 person-years) compared to those who consumed three or fewer servings per month (7.1 cases per 100,000 person-years).
No Link with Artificially-Flavored Drinks:
In contrast to sugary drinks, daily consumption of artificially-flavored beverages did not exhibit a significant association with the risk of liver cancer or chronic liver disease.
Potential Biological Pathways:
While the study could not pinpoint the exact biological mechanisms responsible for the link between sugary drinks and liver disease, potential pathways were suggested.
These included obesity, blood glucose spikes, liver fat accumulation, adverse changes in the gut microbiome, and specific metabolites and chemicals found in sugary drinks.
Conclusion:
The study emphasizes the importance of reducing sugar-sweetened drink consumption, given its association with liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality.
Future research should further investigate the underlying biological pathways to better understand and address this public health concern.