Sugary drinks could be doing more harm than just adding extra inches to your waist. A new study suggests that regularly having sugar-laden beverages could raise the risk of oral cancer by almost 5 times compared to those who have them less often.
Frequently having sugar-sweetened beverages like energy drinks, fruit juices, chocolate milk, iced tea, and lemonade, could be quite damaging for your health and over the time can put you at risk of weight gain and obesity related problems, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and tooth cavities. However, one of the most dangerous and scariest side effects of having these sugary drinks is now being explained by a study.
The new study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, and done by researchers from the University of Washington looked at the dietary habits of 162,602 women, getting the records from a public health database. 124 of these women developed oral cancer over a 30-year period.
The startling discovery
It was found that women who indulged in one or more sugary drinks daily were 4.87 times more at risk of developing oral cancer than those who consumed less than one sugary drink per month, those who indulged in one or more sugary drinks daily.
Those who didn’t consume alcohol or smoke, but consumed one or more sugary drinks daily, were at 5.46 times higher risk of oral cancer than women who had less than one sugary drink each month.
The study noted that those who didn’t have alcohol or smoke much or at all, but consumed one or more sugary drinks daily, were at 5.46 times higher risk of oral cancer than women who had less than one sugary drink each month.
“The incidence of oral cavity cancer (OCC) is increasing among non-smokers and young individuals without traditional risk factors worldwide,” write the researchers in their published paper. In this study, high sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with a significantly increased risk of OCC in women, regardless of smoking or drinking habits, yet with low baseline risk,” said researchers.
While the study does not show direct cause and effect, the association is worth taking into account, to prevent oral cancer among women.
What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer that begins in the squamous cells in the oral cavity, are common in men than women, specifically among smokers, alcoholics or those who chew tobacco. People who are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) are also at risk.
It can develop in mouth and oropharynx – parts of your tongue and the roof of your mouth and the middle part of your throat. About 11 people in 100,000 will develop oral cancer during their lifetime.
The early signs of oral cancer could manifest in the form of common problems with your lips or in your mouth, like white patches or sores that bleed. Cancerous growths do not heal and if left untreated, it can spread throughout the mouth and throat and to other areas of head and neck.
Can healthy eating prevent oral cancer?
With the help of this study, researchers are trying to understand if unhealthy foods including those laden with sugar and saturated fats could trigger long-term inflammatory responses from the body’s immune system.
“A Western dietary pattern has increasingly been recognized as a risk factor for gastrointestinal tract cancers and is characterized by high consumption of saturated fats, processed foods, and added sugars,” write the researchers.
“Our hypothesis is that diets with higher added sugar may contribute to chronic inflammation, which may, in turn, contribute to the risk of OCC.”
The American Oncology Institute says fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants, can help keep cells healthy by protecting them from damage. Including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and limiting sugary drinks and foods can help guard against this deadly form of cancer.
The researchers say more studies are needed to confirm the associations and also to understand if soft drinks with artificial sweeteners pose the same risks as sugary drinks.
