A new study coordinated by researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) examined the association between total, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened soft drink consumption and subsequent total and cause-specific mortality.

The study included data from more than 450,000 people in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, with an average follow-up period of 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.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization. Its mission is to coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop scientific strategies for cancer control. The Agency is involved in both epidemiological and laboratory research and disseminates scientific information through publications, meetings, courses, and fellowships.