Study Suggests Fruit Juice Has The Same Potential To Cause Cancer As Sugary Drinks Like Soda

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A new study finds people who consume a lot of sugary drinks like lemonade and energy drinks have a higher risk of developing cancer.

Experts say another type of beverage - which some may think is a better alternative - turns out not to be.

A new study linking sugary drinks like sodas and energy drinks to cancer came as no surprise to most people CBS2's Hazel Sanchez spoke with.

"They can't be good for you," one person said.

However, learning that 100 percent fruit juice has the same potential to cause cancer as sodas was hard for some to believe.

"Wow that's really bad for kids. Lots of parents give their kids... they think its better than other things," one person said.

"I need to look at this research. I seriously doubt it," said another.

The findings come from a new study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers analyzed more than 101,000 French adults, 21 percent men and 78 percent women, and assessed their intake of sugary drinks including 100 percent fruit juice for nine years.

Cancer epidemiologist Paolo Boffetta says the study may not show the full picture.

"Studying diet and chronic disease like cancer is a complicated matter," he said. "People don't eat or drink one food or one beverage. They eat many different things and one thing is related to the other."

While the study doesn't offer a definitive answer for how sugar causes cancer, it certainly emphasizes the importance of lowering our sugar intake.

Too much sugar does lead to obesity, which is the cause for some types of cancer.

"Wow. Maybe I'll go from some to none," said Upper West Side resident Patrick Loftus.

Experts say totally eliminating sugar isn't necessary, but as the saying goes, everything in moderation.

Many countries, including Britain, France and Mexico, have introduced or are about to introduce taxes on sugar, with the goal of improving people's health.