High Intake of Sugar Ups Breast Cancer Risk: Study

Eating too much sweets and sugary items increases the risk of breast cancer, finds a study.

It is known that more breast volume is a related to four to six times higher chances of developing breast cancer. Past clinical trials have also linked the deadly disease to unhealthy habits like excessive consumption of fatty food, low physical activity and frequent drinking and smoking. Canadian scientists found that high intake of sugar from food and drinks increased breast density in women thereby increasing their susceptibility to breast cancer.

The study involved 776 pre-menopausal women and 779 post-menopausal subjects who reported eating too much of sweet treats, desserts and drank sugary drinks. The experts also noted participants' breast density with the help of mammography screening and daily diet pattern through questionnaire method. The trial accurately measured sugar consumption by recording the number of spoons of sugar the subjects added in their beverages, added sugar in sodas and energy drinks, and how often they ate chocolates, pies and desserts.  

The analysis revealed that high level of sugar intake increases breast density in both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal subjects. It was observed that having more than three servings of sugary drinks in a week increased breast density by three percent.

"We know that the worldwide consumption of sugar has increased and the findings of this study show what effect that type of diet has on breast density, one of the strongest indicators for breast cancer risk," said Caroline Diorio, study author and professor in the department of social and preventive medicine at the Université Laval, in a press release.

"As this is an understudied area, we need more research to further understand the health implications of a diet high in sugar," she added.

Women with dense breast tissues have more number of glands and milk duct tissues than adipose tissues. Devouring too much sweets and sugar induces cell growth of breast tissues thereby increasing its density.

More information is available online in the journal BMC Public Health.