Glass of fruit juice carries cancer risk

Beware of the hidden danger lurking in a seemingly healthy glass of fresh fruit juice — the sugar content could actually increase chances of cancer.

Australian researchers have found that those drinking more than three glasses of juice daily were more likely to develop rectal cancer, a form of bowel cancer.

By the time the drink has been processed and packaged, many of the protective ingredients in the fruit have been lost, researchers say.

They examined the diets of 2,200 adults who filled in a questionnaire detailing their daily eating habits. The team then tracked the participants for two years to see how many of them developed the disease, the Daily Mail reported, quoting the Journal of American Dietetic Association.

They found that eating apples, sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli daily reduced the likelihood of cancer. However, those who consumed lots of fruit juice had a higher risk.

Scientists believe the high sugar content in juice may trigger certain tumours. The team also said that many things found in fruit which help protect against bowel cancer – including fibre, vitamin C and chemicals known as antioxidants – are lost during the juice’s processing.