High intake of sugar-sweetened beverages may facilitate the development of type 1 endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women.
This study examined the association between consistent consumption of added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), cake, doughnuts, cookies, and candy bars and the incidence of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women. A group of US researchers tracked the diets and rate of endometrial cancer diagnosis among 23,039 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the Iowa Women's Health Study.
The research team discovered that women who indulged in foods rich in added sugars had high chances of developing type I—but not type II—endometrial cancer. Type I endometrial cancer risk was 78% higher in participants who drank the most amount of sugary beverages compared to their counterparts who avoided these drinks. "SSB intake may be a risk factor for type I endometrial cancer regardless of other lifestyle factors," the authors concluded.