Feb 9, 2010 8:10 am US/Mountain
Study Links Soda Consumption To Pancreatic Cancer
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ―
-
-
A study by the University of Minnesota finds that sugar-sweetened soft drinks could be related to pancreatic cancer.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Nobody ever claimed soda is actually good for you. There is reason to believe it may help cause something very bad. The University of Minnesota recently released a study linking sugar-sweetened soft drinks to one of the most deadly forms of cancer.
The university studied data from 60,000 people in Singapore over 14 years and found that people who drink as little as two soft drinks a week have almost twice the risk of pancreatic cancer, according to CBS station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.
According to research done by a University of Minnesota professor, there is a link between cancer of the pancreas and people who drink as few as two soft drinks per week.
"Their risk of getting pancreatic cancer over the time period of the study was almost two times higher than their counterparts who were consuming little or no sugar-sweetened beverages in the study," said Dr. Mark Pereira.
To be exact, the risk is 87 percent higher, even after accounting for factors like age, obesity, diabetes and cigarette smoking. It only applies to regular soda -- not diet or fruit juices.
The pancreas produces insulin to balance the body's blood sugar levels. So, extra sugar means extra insulin and that might be the problem.
"Insulin has been shown to promote the growth of most tissues including cancer cells, so that might be the mechanism if this is cause and effect," said Pereira.
If you wonder why fruit juice doesn't appear to cause the same problem as pop, it may be related to serving size. People often drink 8 to 12 ounces of fruit juice compared to 20 or 30 ounces of pop.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Comments