Fizzy Drinks Linked to Gullet Cancer

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Fizzy Drinks Linked to Gullet Cancer

By Mark Sage, PA News, in New York

Fizzy drinks could be linked to some cancers of the gullet, scientists

reported today.

Research presented at an American conference found a ³very significant

correlation² between the growth in popularity of carbonated drinks and

cancer of the oesophagus.

However, other scientists questioned the conclusions and said more study was

needed.

Researchers at the Tata Memorial Hospital in India found from US government

data that consumption of fizzy drinks in the United States increased five

fold in the last 50 years.

In the last 25 years the rate of oesophageal cancer has increased six fold

in white men ­ the group which consumes most carbonated drinks.

The same trend was found in the UK and Australia, where fizzy drink

consumption has also increased.

But in countries like China and Japan, where the craze has been much slower

to catch on, there was no rise in cancers affecting the oesophagus ­ which

connects the mouth and stomach.

Dr Mohandas Mallath, head of the digestive diseases department at Tata

Memorial Hospital, said; ³The surprisingly strong correlation demonstrates

the impact of diet patterns on health trends.

³As the rates may continue to rise for another 20 years, we believe that

more epidemiological studies are urgently required to establish the true

association.²

The findings were presented to a Digestive Disease Week conference

conference of gastro-intestinal specialists in New Orleans, Louisiana and

published in New Scientist.

But scientists were eager to point out that more research was needed before

a direct cause-and-effect link could be established between fizzy drinks and

cancer.

Lee Kaplan, of Massachusetts General Hospital, said: ³This is only a

correlation and doesn¹t in any way indicate causality.

³There are a whole variety of things that occur in modern society.

Refrigerators are associated with cancer ­ but they don¹t cause it.² He

added that people who drink large amounts of carbonated drinks may have

other lifestyle factors which lead to cancer, such as being overweight.

Previous research suggests that fizzy drinks may cause the gut to become

acidic for long periods of time.

Some scientists have theorised that this may be linked to cancers of the

gullet.