The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has more than tripled in the United States over the past 30 years, and there has been a dramatic increase in soft drink intake. This has led to speculation that the rise in esophageal adenocarcinoma rates could be related to this.
Also, GERD is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, and this speculation is fueled by the fact that carbonated beverages can cause heartburn and GERD.
In response to this speculation, researchers at Yale University conducted a scientific proof study.
These researchers conducted a scientific validation study.
They brought together 1095 patients with esophageal cancer and 687 healthy people and compared their carbonated drink consumption.
The results found that the average soda consumption was higher in healthy people than in people with esophageal cancer. Also, the more carbonated beverages you drank, the less likely you were to develop esophageal cancer.
Two things are worth noting:
1. This series of studies focused on esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is highly prevalent in Western countries;
2. The carbonated beverages used in the trials were mainly sugar-free sodas.
The short summary is that people who drink sugar-free soda regularly are less likely to develop esophageal adenocarcinoma than those who drink soda infrequently or not at all.
The study’s leader, epidemiologist Dr. Susan Mayne, noted that people who love sugar-free soda tend to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which may explain this finding.
Why would she speculate that?
Because the study also suggests that the biggest contributing factor to esophageal adenocarcinoma may be obesity. Obesity leads to an increased risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is a recognized risk factor for esophageal cancer.
For his part, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, commented that the incidence of esophageal squamous cancer, whose major risk factors include smoking and alcohol abuse, has declined in the United States. Smokers in the United States are declining, but there are more fat people, which could explain why squamous cancer is declining and adenocarcinoma is rising.
Conclusion:
Carbonated beverages may not increase the risk of esophageal cancer; and, sugar-free soda may help prevent it.
But what you need to be aware of, whether carbonated drinks are good or bad, may not be that important; what’s important is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reduce your sugar and fat intake, exercise more, and try not to become a fat person.