Consuming more than three sugary drinks a week may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, a new study has warned.
Researchers found that a woman's "breast density" - a major risk factor for breast cancer - increased with the quantity of sweetened fruit juice and fizzy drinks consumed.
"We know that worldwide sugar consumption has increased. Our findings show what effect that type of diet could have on breast density, one of the strongest indicators for breast cancer risk," said team leader Dr Caroline Diorio of laval University, in Quebec, Canada.
The findings, published in the journal BMC Public Health, were based on a survey of 1,555 women - half of whom had undergone menopause.
They were asked how often they drank a 355ml portion of sweetened or fizzy fruit juice, 'express.Co.Uk' reported.
"Among all women, those who had a sugary drink intake of more than three servings per week had a mean of 29.6 per cent in breast density," Diorio added.
"But those who did not drink this type of drink had a mean of 26.2 per cent in breast density. An increase of about three per cent in breast density is not negligible in terms of breast cancer risk," she said.
Experts believe it is possible that consuming more sugar increases density in breast tissue by stimulating cell growth.
Women with high breast density have a higher risk of getting cancer because there are more cells to develop the disease.
Their tumours are also more likely to be missed because any areas of abnormal tissue are harder to spot during mammogram screening.
