People who drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day may face a substantially higher risk of developing stomach cancer, according to new research from the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute.

The study, which analyzed data from 112,284 participants in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, found that people who consumed at least one serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage each day had 2.45 times the risk of developing gastric cancer compared with those who consumed less than one serving per month.

The researchers followed participants over several decades, collecting detailed information about their diets, lifestyles and health. During the follow-up period, 278 participants developed gastric cancer.

The association was observed in both men and women. Among women in the Nurses' Health Study, those who consumed more than one sugar-sweetened beverage per day had a 3.04-fold higher risk of gastric cancer compared with women who rarely consumed such drinks.

The study also found that higher overall consumption of fructose, the main sweetener in many sugar-sweetened beverages, was associated with a higher incidence of gastric cancer.

Researchers defined sugar-sweetened beverages as carbonated drinks, punch, lemonade and sports drinks.

By comparison, greater consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was not associated with an increased incidence of gastric cancer after accounting for other factors.

The researchers also examined whether infection with Helicobacter pylori, commonly known as H. pylori, could help explain the association.

The bacterium is a known risk factor for gastric cancer. However, among the 940 participants for whom H. pylori information was available, researchers found no association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and H. pylori infection.

Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and the study's senior author, said the research was the first to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and gastric cancer in a US population.

However, the researchers stressed that the findings do not prove that sugary drinks directly cause stomach cancer.

The study was observational, meaning it identified an association rather than establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.

Other factors may have contributed to the higher cancer rates among people who consumed more sugar-sweetened beverages.

The researchers also noted limitations, including limited information about participants' H. pylori status and family histories of gastric cancer.

In addition, most participants were white, meaning the findings may not apply equally across all racial and ethnic groups.

Despite these limitations, the researchers said the study benefited from its large population and the detailed health, diet and lifestyle information collected over many years.