The relationship between sweet drinks and cancer risk
The relationship between sweet drinks and cancer risk can be seen from several things, namely:
- Sweet drinks can cause obesity
Sweet drinks, if consumed in excess, can cause obesity. Meanwhile, obesity can indeed increase a person's risk of various cancers, such as:
- Mouth cancer
- Digestive cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Heart cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Sweet drinks can cause a buildup of visceral fat
Sweet drinks are not only dangerous for obese people. Regardless of body weight, this drink can trigger fat accumulation in the abdominal area or visceral fat. This type of fat is different from other fats. Visceral fat is more dangerous, because it can increase a person's risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
- Sweet drinks have a high glycemic index
The relationship between sweet drinks and cancer risk is also related to the high glycemic index in them. The glycemic index is a measure that shows the effect of carbohydrates in the intake we consume, on blood sugar levels in the body. The lower the glycemic index of a food or drink, the better. Meanwhile, sugary drinks have a high glycemic index.
Thus, this risks causing type 2 diabetes and excess insulin levels in the body. Both are risk factors for breast cancer, which need to be aware of.
- Sweet drinks contain harmful chemicals
Bottled sugary drinks, like soda, generally also contain a chemical called 4-methylimidazole. These chemicals are said to increase the risk of cancer in the body. Not only soda, the content of packaged fruit juice can also increase the risk of cancer.
Not only lung cancer, sugary drinks increase the risk of all types of cancer
Seeing the number of significant relationships between sweet drinks with cancer, recently conducted a study in France related to both. This research was conducted involving more than 100,000 respondents. The researchers looked at the pattern of consumption of sweet drinks of the respondents for the past few years, and then related to their current health status.
The researchers also looked at various other cancer risk factors that respondents had, such as age, gender, education level, family history of cancer, smoking habits, and physical fitness levels. The result, additional consumption of sweet drinks as much as 100 ml per day, can increase the overall risk of cancer by 18%. In addition, with this consumption pattern, the risk of developing breast cancer will also increase by 22%.
Meanwhile, the researchers specifically did not find an association between lung cancer and consumption of sweet foods. Because, there are limitations of respondents. In a sense, only a small proportion of respondents, who have risk factors for lung cancer.
This is a condition that is a risk factor for lung cancer
In that study, sugary drinks were not proven to be a significant risk factor for lung cancer. Here are the risk factors for lung cancer that you need to be aware of.
- Smoking habits
Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer. Smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer, or die from the disease, compared to nonsmokers.
- Become a passive smoker
Being a passive smoker, can also make you get lung cancer. Inhaling cigarettes from other people, even if you don't smoke, is as dangerous as smoking.
- Inhalation of hazardous materials
Dangerous materials contained in various buildings, including homes or offices, can also trigger lung cancer. These materials include radon, asbestos, diesel, to arsenic.
- Have a family that has had lung cancer
Your risk of getting lung cancer is higher, if a family member has also suffered from this disease. In addition to family history, this disease can re-emerge, even though you have experienced it before and recovered. Especially if you don't stop smoking.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Indonesia. Therefore, you need to be more aware of this disease. Take steps to prevent it, especially by avoiding cigarettes, and living a healthy lifestyle, including exercising regularly and consuming nutritious intake.