Sweet Foods Intake and Risk of Pancreatic Diseases: A large cohort study from the UK Biobank

Last updated:

7 June 2026

Author(s):

Yuqi Liu, Hanke Ma, Yin Lu, Donglin Jiang, Ling Liu, Yongjian Zhu, Yacong Bo, Peng Wang, Jianxiang Shi, Lin Shang, Chensu Yang, Hua Ye, Qiaozhen Cai

Publish date:

23 November 2025

Journal:

Nutrition

PubMed ID:

41456479

DOI:

10.1016/j.nut.2025.113032

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Growing evidence has linked sweet food intake to obesity, diabetes, and mortality, but its association with pancreatic disease remains underexplored.

METHODS: A total of 136 367 participants aged 40-69 y from the UK Biobank were included. Sweet food intake was assessed through dietary questionnaires, and pancreatic disease outcomes were identified using clinical and self-reported data. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for pancreatic disease risk across quartiles of sweet food intake.

RESULTS: During a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 11.6 (11.2-12.4) y, 348 pancreatic cancer events, 527 acute pancreatitis events, and 319 chronic pancreatitis events occurred. Higher sweet food intake was associated with an increased risk of chronic pancreatitis (HR_{Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1}: 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-2.64; P_trend < 0.001) but not with pancreatic cancer (HR_{Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1}: 1.11; 95% CI, 0.80-1.53; P_trend = 0.60) or acute pancreatitis (HR_{Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1}: 0.95; 95% CI, 0.72-1.23; P_trend = 0.65).

CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this cohort study suggest that lower intake of sweet foods may reduce the risk of chronic pancreatitis.