Stomach cancer is currently the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to HealthDay.
Researchers have until now lacked knowledge about exactly how our dietary habits contribute to the disease.
Experts have long suspected that weight gain and hormonal imbalances can play a significant role. Theories also suggest that inflammation and reduced sensitivity to insulin can be contributing factors.
Decades of health monitoring
Researchers from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute in Boston have tried to find final answers.
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Doctor Andrew Chan is behind a large analysis of health data from two long term American research projects.
The study, which is published in Gastro Hep Advances, includes over 112,000 participants who have been followed closely for several decades.
The research team continuously collected information about the specific lifestyle and general health condition of the participants.
During the follow up 278 of the individuals developed cancer in the stomach itself.
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The daily sugary danger
The study documents a direct connection between a high intake of sugar or fructose and stomach cancer.
People who daily drink soda or lemonade are in the danger zone.
The risk of developing the disease increases by almost two and a half times in this group.
The comparison is based on individuals who at most consume a single sugary drink each month.
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Data also show that consuming artificially sweetened beverages does not entail any increased health risk at all.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.