Pancreatic Cancer: Soda Drinkers at Risk

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two soft drinks a week could leave you at risk for the deadliest type of cancer.

A new study reveals consuming two or more soft drinks each week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly two-fold.

"The high levels of sugar in soft rinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth," lead study author Mark Pereira, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, was quoted as saying.

Dr. Pereira explained that people who drink soft drinks regularly tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall, but the effect on insulin may be unique.

Researchers followed over 60,000 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health study for 14 years and found 140 cases of pancreatic cancer cases in the study group. Those who drank two or more soft drinks per week had an 87 percent increased risk of the cancer compared to participants who didn't drink soda.

Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, February 2010

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