Sugary drinks like soda and lemonade may do more harm than just causing weight gain. A new study shows that these drinks could also affect mental health—especially in women.
The research was led by the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Doctors and scientists already know that sugary drinks increase the risk of health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
But now, growing research shows these drinks may also raise the risk of depression. Until now, it wasn’t clear how strong this link was or how it might work.
To explore this, scientists looked at data from 932 people aged 18 to 65 who took part in a study in Germany. Some of them had major depression, and others did not. The researchers found that people who drank a lot of sugary soft drinks were more likely to have depression.
This link was strongest in women. Women who drank more sugary drinks had a 17% higher chance of having depression and showed more severe symptoms.
But why would sugary drinks affect mental health? The answer might lie in the gut. Inside our digestive system lives a large group of bacteria called the microbiome. This microbiome helps with digestion and affects other parts of our health too.
The study found that women who drank sugary drinks had more of a certain type of bacteria in their gut, called Eggerthella. This bacteria has been seen before in people with depression.
Scientists believe that sugary drinks—full of sugar and chemical additives—can upset the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. When this happens, it may lead to inflammation in the body, even in the brain.
This inflammation can increase the chances of depression. Animal studies have shown this can happen, but this new research gives the first strong human evidence.
Interestingly, this link was only seen in women. In men, drinking soft drinks didn’t seem to cause the same problems. It’s not yet clear why this difference exists, but it could have something to do with hormones or how men’s and women’s immune systems react.
Experts say this discovery opens new ways to prevent and treat depression. Since diet can change the microbiome, eating the right foods—or taking special probiotics—might help improve mental health.
This means that simple changes, like drinking fewer sugary drinks, could make a big difference. These findings suggest we should include more information about nutrition in public health programs and depression treatment plans.
Sugary drinks might taste good, but they could be quietly harming your mind as well as your body. Being aware of this and making healthier choices might not only help your physical health but your emotional wellbeing too.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about cannabis use disorder linked to increased risk of mental diseases and some mental health drugs can cause rapid weight gain.
For more health information, please read studies that one sleepless night can reverse depression for days and scientists find better treatment for older adults with depression.
The study is published in JAMA Psychiatry.
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