People who drink a lot of sugary drinks have a higher risk of developing cancer, although the evidence cannot establish a direct causal link, researchers say.

The findings of a large study in France do suggest, however, that limiting intake of sugar-sweetened drinks may help to cut the number of cancer cases in a population, the authors add.

Researchers analysed data from more than 101,000 French adults — 21% of them men and 79% women — and assessed their intake or sugary drinks in the BMJ study.

It followed them for a maximum of nine years, between 2009 and 2018, to assess their risk for all types of cancer, as well as for some specific types, including breast, colon and prostate cancer.