Sugary Beverages May Raise Your Risk of Liver Cancer

By HealthDay Staff HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on June 10, 2026.

WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2026 — If you regularly drink soda or other sugary beverages, a new study may give you a reason to cut back.

Researchers analyzed dietary data from more than 1.5 million adults across 11 long-term investigations. They wanted to find out whether drinking sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages was associated with liver cancer risk.

Participants filled out food frequency questionnaires and were followed through state cancer registries or health surveys for an average of nearly 18 years.

The result: Higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with an increased risk of two major liver cancer subtypes: hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, known as ICC.

In contrast, intake of artificially sweetened beverages was not associated with liver cancer overall or with either subtype.

The study, led by Cody Watling of the National Cancer Institute, was published June 10 in JAMA Network Open.

While it does not prove that sugary drinks cause liver cancer, the authors say their findings add to growing evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverages to adverse long-term health outcomes.

Sources

HealthDay TV, June 10, 2026

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.