Sugary drinks have long been linked to health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Now, new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests they may also directly fuel the spread of advanced colorectal cancer.
The study, published in Nature Metabolism, found that the mix of glucose and fructose commonly found in soft drinks and sweetened beverages helps cancer cells become more mobile, making it easier for them to spread to other parts of the body.
Colorectal cancer most often spreads to the liver, and in laboratory models, sugary drinks appeared to speed up this process.
The research team, led by Jihye Yun, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Genetics, compared how glucose alone, fructose alone, and a glucose-fructose mix affected colorectal cancer.
Only the mix—the same one found in most sodas and fruit-flavored drinks—caused cancer cells to spread more aggressively.
Digging deeper, the scientists discovered why. The sugar mix activated an enzyme called sorbitol dehydrogenase (SORD).
This enzyme not only boosted the way cells use glucose but also triggered a cholesterol-making pathway inside the cancer cells. Together, these changes gave the cancer cells more energy and power to spread.
Interestingly, the cholesterol pathway activated by SORD is the same one targeted by statins, drugs commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol.
When the researchers blocked SORD, metastasis slowed, even in the presence of the sugary drink mix. This finding suggests that targeting SORD, or potentially repurposing statins, could be a way to stop or reduce cancer spread.
“Our findings highlight that daily diet matters not only for cancer risk but also for how the disease progresses once it has developed,” Yun said. “While more research is needed, these results suggest that reducing sugary drinks, targeting SORD, or using statins may benefit patients with colorectal cancer.”
Yun’s lab has previously shown that sugary drinks can directly fuel tumor growth in early-stage colorectal cancer, independent of obesity. This new research builds on those findings, showing that diet may also affect how the disease behaves in later stages.
The study is still in the early stages and was conducted using preclinical models, so more clinical research is needed before firm recommendations can be made.
However, the results raise important questions about current dietary guidelines for people with cancer. Many patients are encouraged to drink nutritional shakes and juices that often contain high amounts of glucose and fructose.
According to Yun, it may be worth reconsidering these recommendations in light of the new evidence.
For now, the research adds to the growing understanding that sugar can play a direct role in cancer biology—not just through its link with obesity but by providing cancer cells with the fuel they need to grow and spread.
