Soda Linked to Cancer: Study

2 soft drinks a week could raise pancreatic cancer risk by 87%
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 8, 2010 4:53 PM CST
Soda Linked to Cancer: Study
A little happiness in a stylish new package is coming soon to your refrigerator.   (Photo: Business Wire)

Soda drinkers could face a sharply higher risk of developing cancer than those who abstain from soft drinks. A study looking at 60,000 Chinese Singaporeans over 14 years found that those who drank more than two sodas a week were 87% more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer than people who drank no soda. Though the study merely identified the correlation between cancer and soda intake, the researchers speculate that it may have to do with the effect of the extra sugar on insulin production.

But some scientists are skeptical: "The study was well designed but smaller than some previous studies that did not find a link between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and pancreatic cancer," noted an expert at the American Cancer Society. Others point out that soda drinkers may simply be more likely to engage in another activity, such as smoking, that raises cancer risk, HealthDay reports.
(More soda stories.)

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