Sodas may raise cancer risk
September 10, 2004
You may want to think twice before reaching for a soda. A new study suggests
that carbonated soft drinks may raise the risk of cancer of the esophagus,
the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
Cancer of the esophagus is one of the fastest growing cancers in the western
world. It is often in an advanced stage when it is diagnosed. In advanced
stages, esophageal cancer can be treated but rarely can be cured.
"Since many cancers are affected by what we eat and drink, we looked back at
data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to see what [changes in the
diet] could explain the [more than fivefold] increase in esophageal cancer
rates over the past 50 years," says Mohandas K. Mallath, MD, professor and
head of the department of digestive diseases and clinical nutrition at Tata
Memorial Hospital.
Mallath presented the results of his study at a meeting of digestive disease
specialists this week in New Orleans.
"What we found was a huge rise in intake of carbonated soft drinks," he
tells WebMD. Per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks rose by more
than 450% during the past half-century, from 11 gallons in 1946 to 50
gallons in 2000 -- the equivalent of two cans of soft drinks per person per
day, he says.
Since exposure to cancer-causing agents usually precedes the disease by
about two decades, "an association seemed possible," Mallath says.
Searching the medical literature for evidence to bolster the theory, his
team found a study offering a strong biological basis to explain the link,
he says.
The study showed that drinking carbonated beverages exposes the
gastrointestinal tract to excess acid, the hallmark of acid reflux disease,
or GERD, he says. And other studies show that GERD is a risk factor for
esophageal cancer.
Also, countries in which people drink very few carbonated beverages,
including Eastern Europe, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, and India, have had
little increase in the incidence of esophageal cancer, Mallath notes. -- MSN
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