Soda warning: High sugar intake linked to pancreatic cancer

(NaturalNews) On Wednesday, research was released from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden that showed people who drink soft drinks or add sugar to their coffee increase their risk of developing pancreatic cancer.The researchers studied the diets of nearly 80,000 men and women between 1997 and 2005. Of those, 131 developed cancer of the pancreas. The group of people who reported drinking sodas or syrup-based drinks twice a day or more were 90 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who did not consume such beverages; people who added sugar to their drinks about five times a day were 70 percent more likely to contract the disease; and those who consumed the popular Swedish sugary dessert known as creamed fruit were at a 50 percent increased risk for the cancer, according to the results published in the American Jounral of Clinical Nutrition.

“The researchers have now been able to show that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is related to the amount of sugar in the diet,” said a statement released by the institute.

“Despite the fact that the chances of developing pancreatic cancer are relatively small, it’s important to learn more about the risk factors behind the disease,” said researcher Susanna Larsson.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease, and is notoriously difficult to treat because it usually does not get diagnosed until it has spread beyond the pancreas. About 216,000 new cases of the cancer are diagnosed each year, mostly in developed countries and mostly in people older than 60.

“It is perhaps the most serious form of cancer, with very poor prognoses for its victims,” Larsson said. “Since it’s difficult to treat and is often discovered too late, it’s particularly important that we learn to prevent it.”

“Pancreatic cancer is just one more serious health danger that comes from drinking soft drinks and sugar-laden beverages,” said Mike Adams, a health advocate and author of “The Five Soft Drink Monsters.” “In both Europe and the United States, these drinks are contributing, not only to cancer, but also to the spreading obesity epidemic and the subsequent increase in type 2 diabetes cases.

“The path to true health does not include any refined sugars whatsoever, least of all from ‘sugar water’ or sweetened juice drinks,” he said.

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University of Minnesota researchers found that people who downed two or more soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

(Feb. — Sugary soft drinks drastically increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a long-term study of 60,000 people in Singapore.

A research team at the University of Minnesota followed thousands of men and women participating in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. At the end of the study, published this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the team found that those drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Oddly enough, those who drank fruit juice, which can have as much sugar as soda, didn’t have the same cancer risk. Pereira suggests that soda drinkers might have poor health habits, which exacerbate their risk of illness. Of those studied in Singapore, individuals who drank soda were more likely to smoke and eat red meat — two lifestyle factors already linked to cancer.

The connection between sugar and pancreatic cancer makes sense: insulin, which helps the body digest sugar, is made in the pancreas. Researchers suspect that sugary soda interferes with the body’s insulin levels, which then contributes to cancerous cell growth in the pancreas.

Diabetes, another illness in which the body’s insulin production is compromised, is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The onset of diabetes later in life can also be an early symptom.

Determining the cause of pancreatic cancer could save thousands of lives a year: 230,000 people are diagnosed worldwide each year, and the American Cancer Society estimates that only 5 percent survive for five years.

But the study isn’t a definitive answer. Out of the 60,000 individuals studied, 140 developed pancreatic cancer. Of those, 18 cases occurred in patients who’d consumed large quantities of soda, 12 occurred in those who drank soda occasionally, and 110 occurred in those who never consumed the sugary beverages.

In their analysis, the researchers acknowledge that the small numbers limit the power of the data, and “giv[e] potential to a chance association.” The team also cites four previous studies that found little or no connection between soda and pancreatic cancer.

There are a handful of definitive or suggested causes for pancreatic cancer, making this study even more difficult to interpret. Aside from red meat consumption, smoking and diabetes, risk factors include genetics, ethnicity, old age, obesity and even excessive alcohol consumption.

The American Heart Association advises that women should consume fewer than 6.5 teaspoons of added sugar a day, and men should limit their consumption to 9.5 teaspoons. Given that a single can of soda contains 13 teaspoons, Americans would be wise to cut down, whether or not they’re motivated by a potential cancer risk.