Drinking soda and other highly-sweetened beverages has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes and obesity. Now research suggests that drinking sugary beverages also negatively affects adolescent mental health.
Researchers found that drinking sweetened beverages is associated with a 34% higher risk of anxiety disorders among adolescents ages 10 to 19. Their findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, are based on an analysis of nine studies that examined the relationship between diet and youth mental health.
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As many as 1 in 5 adolescents say they have experienced anxiety or depression, according to a 2024 federal survey of teen health. With teen mental health issues this widespread, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued two advisories on the matter, including one that focused on the impact of social media on youth mental health.
“Anxiety disorders in adolescence have risen sharply in recent years so it is important to identify lifestyle habits which can be changed to reduce the risk of this trend continuing,” said Dr. Chloe Casey, a lecturer in nutrition at Bournemouth University in England and one of the co-authors of the new study.
Seven of the nine studies that the Bournemouth University researchers analyzed showed a “significant positive association” between adolescents who drank sugary beverages and anxiety. Two of them did not.
Some of the studies measured outcomes over the course of one year, suggesting that regular consumption of soda, energy drinks and other highly-sweetened drinks increased the risk of anxiety disorders.
But the analysis showed an association, not causation. In other words, the research did not prove that drinking soda on a regular basis directly caused higher anxiety levels in youth.
Other issues could be impacting the results, such as family circumstances and sleep disorders that might lead to higher consumption of sugary beverages. Adolescents already experiencing anxiety disorders also may be drinking more soda and energy drinks, the researchers said.
Still, the study identified “an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people,” Casey said.
Public health initiatives and other efforts by health care providers to reduce consumption of soda and other sweetened beverages might help lower the rising rates of anxiety disorders in adolescents, the researchers said.