Stomach Cancer Risk Linked to Sugary Drinks in New Study

What 112,000 People Revealed About Sugary Drinks

Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, two long-running U.S. cohorts that have tracked participants’ health and lifestyles for decades. Dietary information was collected roughly every four years, allowing researchers to examine drinking habits over time. During the follow-up period, 278 participants developed gastric cancer.

Sugar-sweetened beverages included drinks such as regular soda, fruit punch, lemonade, and other beverages containing added sugar. After accounting for factors that could influence cancer risk, including smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, diabetes, and overall diet, researchers found that consuming at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day was associated with 2.45 times the risk of gastric cancer compared with consuming less than one serving per month.

The association was also observed when researchers looked at men and women separately, although the estimates differed. Higher fructose intake was associated with greater gastric cancer incidence as well. Artificially sweetened beverages, meanwhile, did not show the same association.

The Metabolic Clue Researchers Are Following

The difference between sugary and artificially sweetened drinks has caught researchers’ attention because it may offer clues about what is driving the association.

Andrew Chan, MD, MPH, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author of the study, pointed to metabolic dysfunction as one possible explanation. Sugary drinks can cause rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin, while frequent consumption can contribute to weight gain and other metabolic problems. Researchers are also investigating whether insulin resistance, inflammation, or changes to the gut microbiome could play a role.

In an interview with HCPLive, Chan pointed to the lack of an association with artificially sweetened beverages as one reason to investigate metabolic pathways related to sugar. Still, researchers have not established exactly why sugary drinks were associated with gastric cancer, and several possible mechanisms remain under investigation.

Sugar’s Health Record Goes Beyond Cancer

The new findings arrive against a much broader backdrop of concern surrounding sugary drinks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, tooth decay, cavities, and gout. Sugary drinks are also a leading source of added sugars in the American diet.

Cancer is a more complicated part of that conversation. Sugar itself should not simply be labeled a carcinogen, and consuming sugar does not mean someone will develop cancer. One concern is that diets high in added sugar can contribute to excess calorie intake and weight gain, while excess body fat is an established risk factor for several cancers. Researchers are also studying whether metabolic problems associated with high sugar intake could influence cancer development through other pathways.

Researchers have also been examining whether sugary drinks are associated with specific cancers. A 2026 systematic review from the World Cancer Research Fund examined research from 51 prospective cohorts and found evidence supporting positive associations between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and pancreatic and colorectal cancer incidence. The new gastric cancer findings raise the possibility of another connection, although further research is needed to determine whether sugary drinks actually contribute to the development of the disease.

This does not mean every source of sugar should be treated the same way. Whole fruit contains naturally occurring sugars alongside fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Sugary drinks can deliver large amounts of added or free sugar quickly and without the fiber found in whole foods.

The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake and suggests reducing them below 5% for further health benefits. For someone consuming about 2,000 calories per day, the 10% threshold is approximately 50 grams. Free sugars include sugars added to foods and drinks as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates.

2.45 Times the Risk, but What Does That Really Mean?

Despite the size and length of the study, its findings do not prove that sugary drinks cause stomach cancer. This was an observational study, meaning researchers identified an association but cannot establish that one factor directly caused the other.

There were other limitations as well. Only 278 gastric cancer cases occurred among more than 112,000 participants, and the study population was predominantly White, making it unclear whether the results apply equally across other populations. Information about Helicobacter pylori, one of the major known risk factors for stomach cancer, was also available for only a subset of participants.

The 2.45-fold figure may sound alarming, but it does not mean that people who drink sugary beverages every day have a 245% chance of developing stomach cancer. Instead, the study found that their risk was 2.45 times higher than the risk among people who consumed less than one serving per month. Gastric cancer remained uncommon among participants overall.

For someone who occasionally enjoys a soda or another sweetened drink, the findings are not a reason to assume that occasional consumption will lead to cancer. The elevated risk was observed among participants consuming at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day compared with those consuming less than one per month.

Still, stomach cancer does not need to be the sole reason to cut back. Sugary drinks are already associated with several common health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Whether future research confirms a direct role in gastric cancer or finds a more complicated explanation, limiting sugary drinks remains consistent with current public health recommendations.

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