Artificially Sweetened Drinks to Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer, New Study Suggests

A new study published on PLOS ONE journal had recently made sensational headlines by claiming that artificially sweetened beverages may improve the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients.

The study was a cohort study conducted amongst participants in the Cancer and Leukemia Group B’s group research in the United States(CALGB). It included 1,018 stage III cancer patients who were undergoing surgery and receiving complementary chemotherapy.

All participants had completed a questionnaire on their nutrition and lifestyle in the course of their treatment and within six months after its completion. Median follow-up period was 7.3 years during which 348 patients had recurring colon cancer or have developed new tumors, and of which 265 patients died.

The results indicated that participants who consumed at least one serving of a 355 ml diet drink per day were associated with a 46% reduced risk of cancer recurrence or mortality compared with those who abstained from dieting and consumption of artificially sweetened beverages. The substitution of a regular sugar sweetened drink with an artificially sweetened drink was associated with a 23% reduced risk of recurrence of cancer and death, all of which had strong statistical distinctions.

However, it appears as if there was some confusion in the media between a demonstrated relationship of different variables and actual causality.

In this case, the researchers assumed that the relationship is mediated by avoiding sugary beverages. In other words, the inverse relationship is not necessarily related to the consumption of dietary beverages as it is related to the avoidance of sugary beverages. And indeed, previous findings from the same population group indicated there was a link between consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and to an increased risk of cancer recurrence and mortality in colorectal cancer patients.

These findings are joined by other studies that show no distinct link between the consumption of artificial sweeteners and the increased risk of various health problems, that is, studies indicating that artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption. This is contrary to the popular perception that artificial sweeteners are dangerous and might even be carcinogenic.

However, it can not be concluded from this study that consumption of diet drinks does reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality and can not be excluded by recommending the use of diet drinks as part of a preventive or therapeutic strategy.

Source: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0199244#pone.0199244.ref015