Consumption of two or more glasses of soda per day was associated with a higher mortality risk compared to those who drank less than one glass per month, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
 
Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded the results are supportive of public health campaigns aimed at limiting the consumption of soft drinks.
 
The study included data from more than 450,000 people in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, an ongoing, large multinational cohort of people from 10 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom), with participants recruited between Jan. 1, 1992 and Dec. 31, 2000.
 
Excluded participants were those who reported cancer, heart disease, stroke, or diabetes at baseline; those with implausible dietary intake data; and those with missing soft drink consumption or follow-up information. Data analyses were performed from Feb. 1, 2018 to Oct. 1, 2018. Average follow-up period was more than 16 years.
 
Compared with participants who drank less than one glass of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened soft drinks per month, participants who drank two or more glasses of these drinks per day had a higher risk of all-cause mortality.
 
In addition, consumption of two or more glasses of artificially sweetened soft drinks per day was found to be positively associated with deaths from circulatory diseases, and consumption of one or more glasses of sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day was found to be positively associated with deaths from digestive diseases.
 
A separate study published in BMJ recently reported a possible association between higher consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of cancer.