Research from the University of Buffalo indicates that breast cancer patients who regularly consume sugary beverages are at increased risk of death from any cause.
Those who reported drinking non-diet sodas five or more times a week were 62% more likely to die from any cause and 85% more likely to die from breast cancer.
The findings were published online ahead of print March 2 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Recommendations about lifestyle choices for breast cancer survivors are very important. Despite these results, many people continue to drink sugar-sweetened sodas.
“This study is one of the few that looks at the prognosis of women with breast cancer with respect to the consumption of non-diet sodas,” says Nadia Koyratty, Ph.D. Candidate for the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health of the Faculty of Public Health and Health Professions of the UB.
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and all-cause and breast cancer mortality were evaluated among 927 women diagnosed with breast cancer, ages 35 to 79.
They were enrolled in the WEB (Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer) study, and it continued for a median of almost 19 years. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess participants’ food and beverage intake in the 12-24 months prior to breast cancer diagnosis.
Over 900 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 41% had died at the end of the follow-up period. It was observed that among these there was a higher percentage of women who reported a high frequency of consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks compared to women who were still alive.
“Non-diet sodas are the ones that add the most sugar and extra calories to the diet, but they do not provide anything else that is beneficial from a nutritional point of view,” explains Koyratty.
“On the other hand, 100% fruit teas, coffees and juices, unless sugars are added, are healthier beverage options because they add nutritional value through antioxidants and vitamins.”
“While we need more studies to confirm our findings, this study provides evidence that diet can affect longevity in women after breast cancer,” added Jo L. Freudenheim, Ph.D., SUNY Distinguished Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the Faculty of Public Health and Health Professions of the UB.
With information from Medical Xpress.
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