This is the first study to report the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and mortality from chronic liver disease in women. Photo: nakaridore/Freepik
A multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians from the US has warned of an increased risk of liver cancer and chronic liver disease in a study of more than 100,000 women who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily. About 65 percent of U.S. adults drink these soft drinks on a daily basis.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducted one of the first studies to examine the relationship between consumption of sugary drinks, artificially sweetened drinks, and mortality from liver cancer and chronic liver disease.
The results of the observation work appear in no way They emphasize that this paves the way for public health strategies to reduce the risk of liver disease.
They recall that chronic liver disease is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide and can lead to liver cancer and death. “According to our understanding, This is the first study to report the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and mortality from chronic liver disease“, emphasizes the study’s first author Dr. Longgang Zhao from the Department of Network Medicine at Brigham Channing Hospital.
This observational work included approximately 100,000 postmenopausal women from a large prospective study Women’s Health Initiative. After three years, participants reported their usual consumption of soft drinks, fruit drinks (excluding fruit juices), and artificially sweetened drinks.
They were followed for an average of over 20 years. The researchers looked at the incidence of self-reported deaths from liver cancer and chronic liver disease, such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, or chronic hepatitis, further validated by medical records or the National Death Index.
Sugary drinks and liver cancer
A total of 98,786 women were included in the final analysis. 6.8% drink one or more sugary drinks daily 85% increased risk of liver cancer Compared with those who drank fewer than 3 sugar-sweetened beverages per month, the risk of death from chronic liver disease was 68% higher.
The authors note that further research is needed to validate this risk association and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by integrating genetic, preclinical, experimental studies, and omics data.
The caveat of this study reminds us of the World Health Organization (WHO) position on this issue. In October 2016, the UN agency released a report Fiscal Policy on Diet and NCD Prevention (non-communicable diseases).
The main finding is that fiscal policy has led to at least a 20% increase in the retail price of sugar-sweetened beverages could lead to a proportional reduction in the consumption of these products.
To this, they added, less consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages means less intake free sugar and total calorie intake, better nutrition, and reductions in overweight, obesity, diabetes, and dental caries.
this free sugar Monosaccharides (such as glucose and fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) added to foods and beverages by manufacturers, cooks, and consumers, as well as sugars that occur naturally in honey, molasses, fruit juices, and fruit juices. Focus.