Drinking two soft drinks a day increases risk of colorectal cancer in young women

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Washington University looked at data from 95,464 women from the Nurses Health II study between 1991 and 2015. Participants filled out surveys every four years tracking their consumption of various foods, including sugary beverages like soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks other than juice, and energy drinks.

The increased risk starts early in teenage too. For teenagers aged 13-18, each sugary drink increased the risk by 32% on average.

These findings may help researchers understand why colorectal cancer has become more common in people under age 50.

In 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman's death from colorectal cancer shocked the world, given the superstar's young age. His death served to highlight the increasing incidence of colorectal cancers in younger people.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Sometimes it is called colon cancer, for short.

Rates of colon cancer among young are on the rise, and a new study suggests that drinking too many sugary beverages may be to blame at least for women under 50.