High energy snacks and drinks link to bowel cancer
Lead author Evropi Theodoratou, of Edinburgh University’s School of Molecular Genetics and Population Health Science, said: “Some of the risk factors were novel, including the intake of ‘high-energy snack foods’ and the consumption of the sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). To our knowledge this is the first study to report an association between these factors and colorectal [bowel] cancer. These particular snacks and drinks have not been identified as risk factors for colorectal cancer before.”
She added: “We found that the odds of having colorectal cancer were 18 per cent higher if a diet was high in high energy snacks and sugar sweetened beverages. It is an interesting concept, because these foods are becoming more popular in western diets.”
The link remained significant when other factors such as an individual’s body mass index (a measure of weight in comparison to height) and physical...