Postmenopausal women who frequently consume sweetened beverages may be at increased risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the womb), according to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, published by the American Cancer Research Society.
Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with type 1 endometrial cancer associated with estrogen exposure being the most common.
The research covered over 23 thousand. postmenopausal women who entered the broader Iowa Women’s Health Study in 1986. Participants completed the Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire.
By 2010, the group had been diagnosed with 506 type 1 endometrial tumors and 89 type 2 tumors. The study participants who consumed the most sugary drinks were 78 percent. more likely to develop type 1 endometrial cancer than women who drank the least. However, no relationship was observed between the risk of developing this cancer and the consumption of sweets, baked goods or starch.
Although this is the first study to show this relationship, it is not surprising that women who drink more sugary drinks are more likely to develop type 1 endometrial cancer, but not type 2, which is not estrogen dependent, says Dr.Maki Inoue-Choi of University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
High consumption of sweetened beverages translates into a greater risk of obesity. Obese women, in turn, have higher levels of estrogen and insulin, which are factors contributing to the development of this cancer, she adds. (PAP)