Makarem N, et al. - In the Framingham Offspring cohort, researchers prospectively investigated the association between dietary sugars(fructose and sucrose) and sugary foods and beverages in relation to combined and site-specific (breast, prostate, colorectal) adiposity-associated cancers. Participants with central adiposity showed increased cancer risk in association with higher sugary beverage consumption in this cohort of American adults. Thereby suggesting avoiding sugary beverages as a simple dietary modification to be used as an effective cancer control strategy.

Methods

• For this analysis, 3,184 adults were included, aged 26-84y, from the Framingham Offspring cohort.
• Using a food frequency questionnaire, diet data was first collected between 1991-1995.
• Researchers derived intakes of fructose, sucrose, sugary foods and sugary beverages (fruit juice and sugar-sweetened beverages).
• Until 2013, they followed the participants to ascertain cancer incidence; 565 doctor-diagnosed adiposity-related cancers, including 124 breast, 157 prostate and 68 colorectal cancers occurred.
• Associations were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models.
• They conducted tests for interaction with BMI and waist circumference. 

Results

• Between fructose, sucrose, sugary food consumption and combined incidence of adiposity-related cancers or the examined site-specific cancers, no associations were noted.
• In multivariable-adjusted models, higher intakes of fruit juice were associated with 58% increased prostate cancer risk (HR:1.58;95%CI:1.04-2.41) while total consumption of sugary beverages was not associated with site-specific cancer risk.
• In exploratory stratified analyses, participants with excessive central adiposity having higher sugary beverage intake showed increased overall adiposity-related cancer risk by 59%(HR:1.59;95%CI:1.01-2.50)(p-trend=0.057).