Sweetened beverages increase risk of liver cancer in women, study warns

After two decades of research, scientists from the Harvard Medical School discovered that the consumption of sweetened beverages poses a significant threat of increased liver cancer in postmenopausal women.

A recent study published in the journal Jama Network Open unveiled significant data that individuals must remember when evaluating their daily beverage choices, especially as experts have underlined concerns linked to liver health.

Researchers analysed data on 98,786 American women aged 50-79, enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, across 40 clinical centres in the US from 1993-98. They aimed to examine the long-term effects of their beverage consumption patterns until March 1, 2020.

As a result, the study found that women who consumed one or more sugar-sweetened beverages daily had an 85% higher likelihood of liver cancer diagnosis compared to those who consumed them less than once a week.

Additionally, daily beverage drinkers had a 68% higher likelihood of succumbing to liver disease. However, the overall death risk from liver disease remained relatively low, with around 150 fatalities during the study.

While high sugar content is a recognised culprit for obesity – a known risk factor for cancer and liver disease – its effects don’t stop there.

Large amounts of sugar, when consumed regularly, can lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. These conditions are closely linked to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The study further investigated the correlation between liver cancer and artificially-sweetened beverages, focusing on aspartame, a common artificial sweetener, and found no significant correlation.

Dr Pauline Emmett, a senior research fellow at the University of Bristol, shared her views on the study’s implications by saying: “Although this study is observational so can’t give cause and effect, we know from a body of evidence that it is worth thinking twice before choosing to drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day.”

The study results were presented in "person years," which takes into account both the number of study participants and the amount of time each person spent in the study, to make the data easier to interpret, according to Earth.com.

Liver cancer rates for women consuming sweetened beverages were 18 per 100,000 person-years, while those consuming three or fewer drinks had a reduced rate of 10.3 per 100,000 person-years.

Meanwhile, chronic liver disease deaths were 17.7 per 100,000 person-years for daily sugar-sweetened beverage consumers, while those consuming them three or fewer times a month had a rate of 7.1 per 100,000 person-years.

“Compared with three or fewer sugar-sweetened beverages per month, consuming one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day was associated with a significantly higher incidence of liver cancer and death from chronic liver diseases,” wrote the study's authors.

In addition, researchers identified potential pathways for sugar-sweetened beverage consumption's impact on liver health, including obesity, blood glucose spikes, and fat accumulation.

The study emphasises the importance of mindful beverage consumption and emphasises the need for moderation.