Reader Digest Version Global
Dec 10, 2012 02:36 PM EDT

Could Sugary Drinks Contribute to Cancer Risk?

by Damon Beres

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg might’ve been more correct to slam sugary drinks than even he realized: A recent Swedish study suggests that men who drink one “normal-sized” soft drink per day might face an increased risk of prostate cancer.

According to reports from Outcome Magazine and The New York Daily News, “The study, to be published in the upcoming edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed over 8,000 men aged 45 to 73 for an average of 15 years. Those who drank one 11-fluid-ounce soft drink a day were 40 percent more likely to develop more serious forms of prostate cancer that required treatment.”

Some numbers for the guzzlers out there: The average can of soda in the U.S. is 12 ounces. The “mini-cans” you may have seen at the supermarket are 7.5 ounces. And the popular individual bottle sizes are 16 and 20 ounces.

I drink the occasional sugar-free diet soda—linked to some not-so-great health risks themselves—so I’m not in full freak-out mode yet, but I’m curious to see more in-depth research on the topic. After all: Obesity is one thing, but calories and cancer? Seems too risky to ignore, if you ask me.

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