In a large French study (more than one hundred thousand people) researchers looked at a cohort of people who had answered questions about nutrition and their health over five years.

Participants were asked about their diet including the sugary drinks – things like soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices, they consumed, at different points in time.

Other health information was also collected – such as whether the people smoked or drank a lot, which could influence the overall results. About three-quarters of the study group were women. While we already know that sugary drinks contribute to weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, the cancer link was not well established.

Conclusions in this large prospective study, the consumption of sugary drinks was positively associated with the risk of overall cancer and breast cancer. 100% fruit juices were also positively associated with the risk of overall cancer. These results need replication in other large scale prospective studies. They suggest that sugary drinks, which are widely consumed in Western countries, might represent a modifiable risk factor for cancer. – The BMJ