New study warns of a increased risk of depression among addicts sugar-free drinks. The researchers analyzed data collected from 263,900 American adults aged 50 to 71. They answered questions about their drink consumption between 1995 and 1996. Ten years later, from 2004 to 2006, the same people were asked whether a doctor had diagnosed them with depression since 2000.
It appeared that respondents who drank more than four cans of soda per day were 30% more likely to have suffered from depression than those who had not drunk any soda.
The risk was particularly high among lovers of soda without sugar (31% more risk of having suffered from depression against 22% for consumers of any type of soda).
Another finding from the study was that those who drank more than four cans of unsweetened fruit drinks were twice as likely to have had depression than those who did not drink low-fat fruit drinks.
The results of this study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology next March. However, they do not provide any evidence of a direct link between excessive consumption of low-fat drinks and depression.
Coffee, drink against depression?
Conversely, the researchers found that the consumption of 4 cups of coffee minimum per day was associated with a 10% decrease in the risk of depression. “Coffee contains high amounts of caffeine known to be a brain stimulant,” which could have effects on mood, says Dr. Honglei Chen of the National Institutes of Health.
This supposed protective effect of caffeine has already been pointed out by studies. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, in particular observed that women who drank between two and three cups of coffee each day were about 15% less likely to develop depression over a 10-year period than those who drink no more than one cup per week.
