<<Print>>

New research has discovered that even a small amount of juice or soda you drink per day may increase your risk for cancer.

The study, which was published in a medical journal BMJ recently, looked into the association between the consumption of sugary beverages and an increased risk in cancer by collecting data on more than 100,000 French adults with an average age of 42.

A small glass of a sugary drink per day -- 100 ml, about a third of a typical can of soda -- is linked to an 18 percent increase in overall cancer risk and a 22 percent increase in risk for breast cancer.

According to the study, 100 percent fruit juices were also positively associated with the risk of overall cancer.

Mathilde Touvier, lead author of the study, and her team said that the main driver for the link between these drinks and an increase in cancer risk was the sugar.

"High sugary drinks consumption is a risk factor for obesity and weight gain," Touvier told CNN, adding that "obesity is in itself a risk factor for cancer."

Another possibility is that additives, such as 4-methylimidazole, which is found in drinks that contain caramel coloring, could play a role in cancer formation.

The study supported existing nutritional recommendations to limit sugary drink consumption, including 100 percent fruit juice, as well as policy actions, such as taxation and marketing restrictions targeting sugary drinks, which might potentially contribute to the reduction of cancer incidence.