Worst Drinks for Cancer

As with most diseases, there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing cancer; however, there are certain things, such as beverages, that can either increase or decrease your cancer risk.

Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks, like soda and sweetened juices, are some of the worst for cancer. These drinks are loaded with sugar, which can lead to weight gain. Extra weight may increase the risk of some cancers and make it harder for your body to fight off illness.

Alcohol

Alcohol is harmful for people with cancer. Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of certain cancers, like liver, throat, and breast cancer. It can also irritate the body and make recovery from treatment harder.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are full of caffeine and sugar. These can make you feel jittery and can disrupt your sleep. Poor sleep can weaken the immune system, which is essential for fighting cancer.

Processed Fruit Juices

While fruit juice might sound healthy, many store-bought options are processed and contain added sugars. These don’t provide the same benefits as fresh fruits and can add unnecessary calories to your diet.

Milkshakes and Creamy Drinks

Rich, creamy drinks like milkshakes are high in fat and sugar. Eating too much fat can lead to weight gain, which may negatively affect your cancer treatment.

Diet Soda

While diet sodas don’t have sugar, they often contain artificial sweeteners. Some studies suggest these sweeteners might not be good for long-term health, especially if you have cancer.

Caffeinated Drinks

Too much caffeine, found in coffee or certain teas, can cause dehydration. Staying hydrated is very important for cancer patients.

Drinks with Artificial Colors or Flavors

Drinks with artificial ingredients may not be the best choice. These additives don’t provide any nutrients and could irritate your system.

Carbonated Beverages

Fizzy drinks, including soda and sparkling water, can lead to bloating or gas. This can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re already dealing with cancer symptoms.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks might seem healthy, but many are high in sugar and sodium. These can lead to water retention and weight gain.

What is Cancer?

Cancer is caused by the growth of cancerous cells within different cells of the body, such as the lungs, prostate, bladder or breast, to name but a few. These growths occur as a result of cellular mutations that make them start to grow out of control, causing tumor growth.

When a cell is going through a normal cycle they grow and divide to form new cells as we need them. Typically, if a cell is damaged or grows old it goes through programmed cell death or apoptosis to make room for new, healthy cells. However, sometimes this process doesn’t go as planned and these damaged cells continue to grow and multiply when they shouldn’t, a process that can lead to malignant or benign tumors.

Sometimes this condition can develop slowly over many years and may not show any symptoms until it has spread to other parts of the body, known as metastasizing.

Cancer is primarily a genetic disease, meaning that it develops when there are changes to the genetic expression of cellular function, specifically how they grow and divide. These genetic changes can happen due to:

Genetic predisposition from our parents.
Mistakes that happen as cells divide.
Damage to DNA due to harmful substances, often called carcinogens, because they increase cancer risk.

This article will focus on the most carcinogenic drinks that increase your cancer risk and great alternatives to enjoy instead.

Recent data indicates that cancer rates continue to rise in the US, increasing from 1.9 million new cases in 2023 to over 2 million cases in 2024. These cases lead to almost 612,000 deaths annually, an increase from 2023’s 609,000. Cancer of various types is the second highest cause of death in the nation and it occurs when specific cells in the body begin to grow out of control, which interferes with their ability to function healthily.

While incorporating these foods is no guarantee that you won’t develop cancer, they can help stack the deck in your favor and lead to more delicious home-cooked meals!

Read on to learn about some of the best foods for controlling diabetes.

Drink Danger: Beverages That Can Worsen Cancer Risks