Simple Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake During Adolescence and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Precursors

Regular drinking of generous amounts of sugary beverages during adolescence may induce the formation of colorectal adenomas—a precursor of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal adenomas are among the precursors of colorectal cancer. This study seeks to unravel the suga-sweetened beverage (SSB)-colorectal cancer puzzle. The study included 33,106 participants who were surveyed about their diets and underwent lower gastrointestinal endoscopy to detect the presence of colorectal adenomas. 

Researchers observed that adenomas were more likely to be present in the colon and rectum of participants with high rate of consumption of sugary beverage as adolescents. This study concluded that "high intake of simple sugars and SSBs during adolescence was associated with increased risk of conventional adenoma, especially rectal adenoma."