Here’s another reason to reconsider that sugary drink: For women under age 50, it increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
The findings also are not just a cautionary tale for adult women. Heavy consumption of sugary drinks during the teenage years — as well as adulthood — can raise colorectal cancer risk, the researchers found.
This is how scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis established their findings: From a large study that tracked the health of more than 110,000 nurses from 1991 to 2015, the researchers identified early-onset colorectal cancer cases. Every four years during the health survey, participants answered questions about their diet and beverage habits. More than 40,000 of them also answered questions about beverage consumption as teenagers.
The researchers found that women who drank more than two sweetened beverages a day had slightly more than double the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer as those who consumed less than one 8-ounce serving a week.
Among adolescents ages 13 to 18, the risks were also pronounced. For each daily serving of sweetened drinks, the risk of developing colorectal cancer before age 50 increased 32%.
Still, the news isn’t all bad: Milk and coffee were associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. The findings come as the average age of diagnosis for colorectal cancer patients is falling and federal officials lowered the recommended age for a first screening colonoscopy to 45.
Pausing for a moment at the refrigerator or convenience store cooler to make a healthier choice might eventually pay off. Researchers say the choice is simple: Consider trading that sugar-loaded drink for a milk or unsweetened coffee.