Soda, Colas and Cancer

Soda drinkers may actually have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

A study by researchers from India has found that soda drinkers, who represent a huge percentage of the world's population may actually have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Researchers at Tata Memorial Hospital in India have found a strong correlation between the rise in per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks (CSD) in the past 20 years and the increasing rates of esophageal cancer (ACE).

Based on available data on diet changes, per capita consumption of CSD rose by more than 450 percent during the past half-century, from 10.8 gallons in 1946 to 49.2 gallons in 2000. At the same time, in the last 25 years, incidence rates of ACE have risen by more than 570 percent in American white males and continue to increase.

The rise in CSD consumption preceded the rise in cases of ACE by 20 years. A 40 percent increase for each five-year increase in date of birth, a birth cohort effect was previously reported.

Researchers found published data for a strong biological basis to explain the increased dose and duration of esophageal exposure to acid as CSD drinking causes gastric distension that triggers reflux.

Consumption of 350 milliliters of CSD per day corresponds to 53.5 minutes of pH less than four and 53 gallons per year translates to 32,100 more minutes of acid exposure per year.

Moreover, countries with per capita CSD of more than 20 gallons have seen a rising trend of ACE cases.

"The surprisingly strong correlation demonstrates the impact of diet patterns on health trends. This study re-emphasizes a general life style dictum that 'if little is good, a lot isn't better.' As the rates may continue to rise for another 20 years, we believe that more epidemiological studies are urgently required to establish the true association," said Mohandas Mallath, lead author on the study.