Liver cancer is now the 6th most common cause of cancer deaths in the US. Some risk factors are well known, like viral hepatitis, smoking, alcohol, obesity, diabetes, and cirrhosis (a late-stage liver disease that permanently damages the tissue). But more than 40% of liver cancers can’t be explained by any of those known risk factors. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption drives insulin resistance and inflammation – two conditions that are strongly associated with how liver cancer develops.
This study, presented at the American Society of Nutrition’s 2022 Meeting, included over 90,000 women aged 50 to 79 years. Women in the study who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage, such as a soda or fruit juice per day, had a 78% greater risk for developing liver cancer compared with those who consumed less than three servings per month. Replacing one sugar-sweetened beverage with water reduced the risk for liver cancer by 29%, and replacing it with non-sugar sweetened coffee or tea reduced the risk by 20%.
Bottom line: Avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages or replacing them with water or non-sugar-sweetened coffee or tea could significantly lower your risk for liver cancer.
