Sweet Drinks Linked to Anxiety and Depression in Young and Middle-Aged Adults

Swapping soda for black coffee could benefit your mental health. Learn more about a new study that contributes to a growing body of research that links sweetened drinks to poorer mental health outcomes.

By Rosie McCall
Apr 8, 2025 5:05 PMApr 8, 2025 5:09 PM
four sugary drinks
(Image Credit: fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock) Research suggests coffee and pure fruit or vegetable juices may help protect against depression and anxiety, whereas drinking sweetened beverages may increase your risk.

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Time to trade your soda for a cold brew? There’s the old saying “you are what you eat,” but new research suggests your drink choice really could be affecting your mental health.

A study recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that regularly consuming drinks sweetened with sugar and artificial flavors was linked to an increased risk of developing conditions such as anxiety and depression in young and middle-aged adults. More positively, drinking coffee and fruit juice appeared to have the opposite effect, correlating with lower levels of depression and anxiety in people of all the ages studied.

This “underscores the potential relationship of prudent beverage choices in mitigating the risk of mental health,” the study’s authors stated.

Examining the Rise in Depression and Anxiety

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