Do Soft Drinks Cause Cancer?

We know that soft drinks aren’t healthy for many reasons — one of which is triggering weight gain. However, a study conducted in Singapore has us even more concerned.

According to the study, drinking two or more sodas a week increased the risk for pancreatic cancer by 85% compared to nondrinkers.

Scientists discovered this after tracking more than 60,000 middle-aged people for 14 years.

They looked at lifestyle, environmental factors, and diet. We should also note that the study was based in a country whose populace, like ours, tends to enjoy (at least) an occasional soft drink.

Soft Drinks Cause Blood Sugar Spikes

Why are soft drinks linked to cancer? Well, it may have to do with their high sugar content. A single soft drink may contain up to 41 grams of sugar, which is a lot to put into your body at once.

This can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and your pancreas to release large amounts of insulin.

If this happens on a regular basis, it could lead to chronically high levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia), a condition associated with several types of cancers.

Insulin Helps Cancer Grow

Insulin allows the entry of glucose into cells, where it’s used as an energy source.

Unfortunately, cancer cells need insulin too. In fact, many cancers have insulin receptors which transport glucose to cancerous cells, helping them to grow, divide, and multiply.

Studies show insulin encourages pancreatic cancer cells to grow in a dose-dependent manner, meaning that higher amounts support increased growth.

The Singapore scientists think this may be a reason why soft drinks are linked to pancreatic cancer.

So if you’re concerned about cancer, it may be wise to avoid soft drinks which can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and insulin levels.

How to Make Sugar-Free Drinks at Home

Let’s face it, most people drink sodas because they taste good…and many of us are hooked. The good news is that you can still enjoy a soda without the sugar or artificial sweeteners.

In fact, seltzer water is a great substitute for soda. It has the fizziness which soda drinkers seem to enjoy, but it doesn’t contain the sugar and calories.

You can drink it alone, or you can mix it with a hint of your favorite fruit juice. Another option is to sweeten your seltzer water with sugar substitutes such as stevia or xylitol. These ingredients are safe, healthy, and they don’t raise blood sugar levels.

Recipe – “Safe” Lemon-Lime Soda:

Here’s a nice lemon-lime soda recipe courtesy of SparkRecipes.com. This drink not only satisfies your sweet tooth, but it’s nutritious too. It contains lemon and lime juices which arechock-full of antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mixture of fresh lemon and lime juice
• 10 or 12 drops of liquid stevia extract
• Pinch of salt (optional)
• 3 cups soda water (something fizzy and light)

Directions:

Mix your lemon and lime juice, stevia drops, and salt in a pitcher. Add the bubbly water, stir gently, pour into tall glasses over ice and enjoy!