There鈥檚 some bitter news about sweet pop! But you have to take it with a grain of salt. Beginning in 1995, researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health in the U.S. had more than 250,000 adults between the ages of 50 to 71 fill out questionnaires about the kinds of drinks they consumed.Ten years later they asked the participants whether they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. The participants reported a total of 11,311 depression diagnoses. Analysis of the data revealed that those who drank more than four cans of soda a day had a 30 per cent greater risk of depression than those who consumed none.The same amount of fruit punch was tied to a 38 per cent higher risk. The risk was even greater for people who consumed diet drinks, whether soda, punch or iced tea. Coffee, though, had the opposite effect. People who drank four cups of coffee each day had about a 10 per cent lower risk of developing depression than those who didn鈥檛 drink any. An observational study like this only shows an association. It cannot prove cause and effect. In other words, it may be that people who have depressive personalities use sweetened drinks to feel better. In any case, cutting down on soft drinks is a good idea for many reasons. And that's the latest poop on pop.
There鈥檚 some bitter news about sweet pop! But you have to take it with a grain of salt. Analysis from a 2011 study revealed that those who drank more than four cans of soda a day had a 30 per cent greater risk of depression than those who consumed none.
