A study of more than 260,000 people over age 50 found that people who drink lots of soft drinks on a daily basis significantly increase their risk of developing depression. The study is to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in March and was reported January 8 on Web MD.
The study said that sweet-drink-consumers who drank 4 cups or 4 cans of soft drinks had an increased risk of depression — 22% if they consumed regular, sugary drinks and a whopping 30% if they consumed diet drinks.
It is important to note that the study can’t identify soft drinks as the cause of depression. It could be the reverse — perhaps depressed people are more likely to self-comfort with consuming more soft drinks. Still, the report is interesting and people who are concerned about healthy living should take note. Of course, people who are really concerned about health probably don’t generally consume that much of the fizzy stuff in the first place.
The report contained what looks to be good news for coffee drinkers – they were 10% less likely to report depression during the period the study was conducted.