Sugar drinks are not good for health, we have known for a long time, especially because they significantly increase the risk of obesity. But new research suggests that they could also be the cause of many cases of mouth cancers. According to these analyzes, people who regularly consume sodas are about five times more likely to develop this disease than others.
The discovery results from a study carried out by the University of Washington in Seattle (United States) and published on March 13, 2025 on the JAMA Network site. To obtain their results, the researchers analyzed the data following over a long period the state of health of 162,602 women who participated in a study called Nurses’ Health Study. We learn that 124 cases of epidermoid carcinomas of the esophagus (CEO) were identified on patients. Scientists tried to find the cause.
Women who participated in the study would present a risk 4.87 times higher to be affected by cancer of the oral cavity when they declare to consume at least one sugary drink per day. The hypothesis that this correlation can be linked to the consumption of alcohol or tobacco has been dismissed, since by insulating participants who do not drink and smoke, the risk of developing pathology is 5.46 times higher in soda consumers.
Cancer killing
More broadly, science is a tendency to increase cases of oral cancer in women, including those who do not smoke and do not drink. However, it is a disease that generally affects elderly men, precisely more focused on alcohol and tobacco, as the Futurism magazine notes. Brittany Barber, main author of the study and assistant professor of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery of Washington University, told United Press International that the increase in the number of cancers of this type in women is “Alarming”. In their report, scientists report that in 2020, 355,000 cases of this kind of cancer were identified and that they are responsible for the death of 177,000 people.
Indeed, this cancer is “Less frequent than breast or colon cancer”as Brittany Barber specifies, but he is nonetheless completely devastating. According to a study published on the National Library of Medicine website in the United States, the rate of survival for the disease five years after it declared is only 64.3%.
If the correlation between soda and uncovered mouth cancer is impressive, it requires being studied more ample, and confirmed. This link could probably be attributed to a diet too sweet in general among the participants concerned, and not only to sodas. In the meantime, it is better to consume sodas in moderation and rather opt for a glass of water, it will not be able to hurt you.
