Drinking one or more sugary beverages each day was associated with nearly triple the risk of developing gastric cancer, according to new research from Mass General Brigham. The finding emerged after researchers accounted for other risk factors.

The study compared people who consumed at least one sugar sweetened beverage daily with those who drank fewer than one serving per month. Daily consumers had a 2.45 times higher risk of developing gastric cancer.

Sugary beverages are a common part of American diets. CDC data states that roughly two thirds, or 63%, of United States adults report consuming sugar sweetened beverages at least once per day.

The research analyzed information from more than 100,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow Up Study. These long term prospective cohort studies examined connections between diet, lifestyle and chronic disease among healthcare workers.

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The studies were managed by researchers affiliated with Harvard. Senior author Andrew T. Chan is a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist with the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute in Boston.

Chan said the findings are concerning because cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are increasing, particularly among people under 50. He also said rising consumption of sugary beverages and ultra processed foods is likely contributing to some of those cancer trends.

Earlier research had connected sugary drinks with higher rates of liver, breast and colorectal malignancies. However, their specific relationship with gastric tissue had remained unclear.

The researchers defined sugar sweetened drinks as regular sodas, fruit punches, lemonade and sports beverages. Fructose was identified as the main sweetener in those drinks.

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Higher fructose consumption was associated with a greater risk of stomach cancer. Across the research, greater fructose intake consistently tracked with more cancer occurrences.

The association was particularly pronounced among women who consumed more than one sugary beverage each day. That group showed a more than threefold increase in gastric cancer rates.

Artificially sweetened beverages produced a different result in the analysis. Diet sodas and other low calorie carbonated drinks were not associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer among the more than 100,000 participants.

Gastric cancer is heavily linked to Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacteria that lives in the stomach lining. Researchers therefore examined that possible connection in a subset of participants.

Within that subset, investigators found no connection between sugary beverage consumption and H. pylori. The finding strengthened the researchers' hypothesis that sugar, specifically fructose, plays a role.

However, the research was observational and could show only an association rather than direct causation. The results do not establish that consuming sugary beverages causes gastric cancer.

"The study is unable to really prove cause and effect," Chan said. "What we did see was an association."

Chan said more research is needed to determine whether the observed relationship between sugar sweetened beverages and stomach cancer is truly causal. The study's design did not allow researchers to reach that conclusion.

The participant group also limits how broadly the results can be applied. Participants were predominantly White healthcare professionals, and the research team acknowledged that the findings need confirmation across more diverse populations.

The study was published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances. Chan said cutting back on sugary beverages could offer an actionable way to reduce risk as researchers continue examining their possible contribution to rising gastrointestinal cancer rates.