Sweetened Drinks Linked To Depression Risk

WebMD Medical News By Salynn Boyles Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Jan. 8, 2013 — Drinking sweetened beverages — either sugar-sweetened or diet — may be linked with a slightly higher depression risk, while drinking coffee may slightly lower the risk. That is the finding from a new study to be presented in March at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego. Do Sweetened Drinks Really Lead to Depression? In the study, people who drank sweetened beverages — including regular and diet sodas, fruit punch, and sweetened iced tea — had a higher risk for depression. Researchers say the findings suggest that cutting down on sweetened drinks or replacing them entirely with non-sweetened beverages may help lower depression risk. But an expert who reviewed the findings says it failed to convince him that drinking sweetened beverages raises depression risk. “There is much more evidence that people who are depressed crave sweet things than there is to suggest that sweetened beverages cause depression,” says neurologist Kenneth M. Heilman, MD. Heilman is a professor of neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. The study included close to 264,000 people over the age of 50 enrolled in an AARP diet and health study. When they entered the study, the participants were asked about their beverage-drinking habits as part of a detailed dietary survey. About 10 years later they were asked if t...
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