A new study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has revealed that consumption of sugary drinks could lead to cancer.

The conclusion was drawn following the assessment of sugary and artificially sweetened drink intake in more than 100,000 adults in France.

The researcher who conducted the study followed the participants up over time in order to see if people who consumed more of these drinks were likely to develop cancer.

It was found that those who consumed an additional 100ml of any sugary drink a day are likely to increase their cancer risk by 18%.

Additionally, the study suggested that an increase in cancer risk was found with 100% fruit juices, but not with artificially sweetened drinks.

For this study, the researchers considered all the drinks with high levels of sugar, including 100% fruit juices and sugary fizzy drinks.

Responding to the study, British Soft Drinks Association director general Gavin Partington said: “This study reports a possible association between higher consumption of sugary drinks and an increased risk of cancer, but does not provide evidence of cause, as the authors readily admit.

“Soft drinks are safe to consume as part of a balanced diet. The soft drinks industry recognises it has a role to play in helping to tackle obesity, which is why we have led the way in calorie and sugar reduction.

“Soft drinks are the only category to have already hit Public Health England’s calorie-reduction target of 20% by 2020, and Kantar Worldpanel data shows overall sugar intake from soft drinks was down by 29% between May 2015 and May 2019.”