Do Sugary Drinks Increase the Risk of Colon and Rectal Cancer?

SadaNews - Researchers have found that the combination of sugars present in most sugary drinks directly contributes to the spread of cancer.

The study was conducted by researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in the United States, and its results were published in the journal Nature Metabolism on September 19, as reported by the American magazine Newsweek.

Assistant Professor of Genetics at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Jihee Yoon, stated to Newsweek: "To fully understand the risk of sugary drinks, we needed to determine whether they make existing cancers more aggressive and spread faster, not just whether they increase the risk of developing cancer in the first place."

To study the potential impact of sugary drinks on late-stage colon and rectal cancer, the researchers used laboratory cancer models to compare the effects of both glucose and fructose with the effects of glucose or fructose alone.

The researchers define sugary drinks as liquids sweetened with added sugars, including sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup.

Jihee explained: "Examples include not only traditional sodas but also energy drinks, sweetened coffee drinks like Frappuccino, dietary supplements – which are often given to cancer patients – and fruit juices."

Sugar Combination

The new study revealed that the sugar combination alone made cancer cells more capable of movement, leading to a faster spread to the liver, which is the most common site for the spread of colon and rectal cancer.

The team discovered that the combination of glucose and fructose activates an enzyme called Sorbitol Dehydrogenase, which enhances glucose metabolism and stimulates the cholesterol pathway, ultimately leading to tumor spread.

This pathway is the same one targeted by statins, which are medications that can help lower cholesterol.

The researchers found that blocking Sorbitol Dehydrogenase slows down cancer spread even in the presence of the sugar combination, indicating that targeting the enzyme could also help prevent tumor spread.

Jihee said: "We showed that refraining from sugary drinks slows the spread of colon and rectal cancer in our preclinical models, even after tumors have formed. This suggests that dietary changes can make a difference in the later stages of the disease, although studies in patients will be necessary to confirm this."

Source: Newsweek