Focused on promoting less sugary items in people’s food intake, especially in soft drinks.
Studies show that Americans who routinely consume soft drinks see their chances of getting obese, developing diabetes, and having heart issues later in life increase. But now health experts are warning that drinking sodas with a higher sugar intake constantly could be impacting your mental health.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that those who drink sodas daily become moodier.
JAMA says researchers screened more than 900 adults who drank soda every day. 50% of those being examined had clinical depression, and 50% didn’t. It showed that 8% of constant soda drinkers were diagnosed with major depression.
Women who drank soft drinks daily showed a 16% increase in major depression compared to men.
The research also showed that by drinking less soda, people had a healthier gut and better brain health.
JAMA does say the study doesn’t prove that soda directly causes depression; instead, it points out that it contributes to certain parts of the body that play an important role in an individual’s mental health.
“We can see that there is a correlation between soft drink consumption and depression. “It could be either way. It could be depression causing soft drinks consumption or the other way around.” Said the published report,
The study also added that even moderate consumption, from 1 to 2 soda’s a day, may contribute to poorer mental health over time. They called for public education and policy changes to reduce soft drink consumption, particularly among children and teens.
