The Study
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice and human cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies
This study looks at lots of other studies that watched what people drink and whether they got cancer. It can show that people who drink more sugary drinks tend to get cancer more often, but it can't prove the drinks actually cause cancer because other things might be different about those people.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Drinking lots of sugary drinks might make you more likely to get cancer.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 539 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, the increase is small but meaningful for public health.
- 212% higher cancer risk with high sugary drink intake; 4% more risk per extra drink daily.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Cancer
Year
2021
Authors
Yuting Li, Li Guo, Kaiyin He, Changbing Huang, Shaohui Tang
Related Content
Claims (7)
Drinking sugary drinks quickly puts a lot of sugar into your blood, which can create conditions in your body that might help cancer grow because these drinks don't have fiber, don't make you feel full, and get absorbed really fast.
Drinking sugary drinks like soda might raise your chance of getting cancer by about 12% compared to drinking very little, according to a big review of many studies.
Drinking a lot of sugary drinks like soda might make you more likely to die from cancer, especially breast cancer.
Drinking one more sugary drink every day might raise your chance of getting cancer by about 4%, according to research that looked at many studies tracking people's habits over time.
Drinking more fruit juice might slightly raise your chances of getting cancer, according to some big studies that looked at people's habits over time.
Drinking more fruit juice each day might raise your chance of getting cancer by 14%, according to a big study that looked at lots of people over time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.