**2.2 High sugar/fat diet, fast foods, and sugar-sweetened drinks**

Consumption of diet rich in sugar, fat, and fast foods, as well as sugar-sweetened drinks can be linked to increased risk of CRC. Fast foods and other processed foods including snacks, bakery foods and candies, are energy dense and are frequently consumed in large quantities as they are readily available. Addition of free sugars including high fructose corn syrup, sucrose to drinks and sugars present naturally in fruit juices, syrups and honey to ensure sweet taste can increase CRC risks.

**Figure 1.** *Mechanisms of high intake of red and processed meat in colorectal carcinogenesis.* Therefore, drinks such as sweetened water, sodas, energy drinks, barley water, sports drinks, as well as tea-based beverages sweetened with sugars or syrups should be reduced, avoided, or replaced with sugar free drinks or drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners [7].
