Do soft drinks make you depressed?

Sickened by the glut of pseudo-health information you’re fed every week? Here to take on the challenge is Dr Radha Modgil, resident doctor on Channel 5’s daytime show Live with...., medical presenter for all five series of Channel 4's The Sex Education Show and for the BBC's Make My Body Younger, and regular guest GP on The Vanessa Show.

The story:

According to a new study, fizzy drinks are not only bad for your body, they may also cause depression. The findings come from the US, where researches carried out a 10 year study which revealed that those who drank more than four cans of soft drinks a day were 30 per cent more likely to have depression than those who did not consume fizzy drinks.

Diet drinks appeared to have the highest correlation with depression.

Researcher Honglei Chen said: “While our findings are preliminary and the underlying biological mechanisms are not known, they are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with poor health.”

For coffee drinkers, however, the news was better and the study found that people who consumed four cups of coffee a day were 10 per cent less likely to become depressed than those who didn’t drink coffee.

“Cutting down on diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may help lower your depression risk,” said Chen.

So diet drinks make you sad and coffee makes you happy? Are things really this black and none?

The facts:

“Beware of attention-grabbing headlines,” says Dr Radha. “The study has only shown a bare association between depression and fizzy drinks. A true cause and effect has definitely not been demonstrated.”

Statistics can be misleading. While the study appears to have shown a link between people who drink soft, fizzy drinks and depression, other factors may be at work. To demonstrate true cause and effect, other indicators – such as lifestyle, family and socioeconomic status – would have to be taken into account and ruled out.

Bear in mind when reading stories of this nature that studies may be flawed. Was the sample group really representative of the whole population? How was depression classified – anecdotally or through a medical diagnosis? Were any personal or lifestyle factors taken into account?

“Especially with something as serious as depression, headlines and statistics like these should be treated with caution,” says Dr Radha.

“Fizzy drinks are high in sugar and cause tooth decay as well as flatulence and sometimes heartburn, so cutting them down may improve your general health and wellbeing. But depression is a different case altogether so don’t convince yourself that simply reducing fizzy drinks will be enough to treat it.”

Depression has many causes and is complex in its origin. It may be triggered by stressful events, chronic illness, illicit drugs or alcohol, social events like isolation and, for some women, giving birth. People’s personalities are also a factor; those who worry a lot or have low self-esteem may be more prone to depression and a family history of depression can increase your risk.

While everyone can expect to feel low from time to time, depression is diagnosed when this mood continues for weeks or months and affects daily life.

You can get more information here.

Dr Radha

If this affects you:

“If you suffer from depression then get some help from your GP, a mental health organisation or from your family and friends,” says Dr Radha.

Treatments for depression include exercise and lifestyle changes, counselling or CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), antidepressants or a combination of all of these.

While cutting down on sugary or diet drinks may have other health benefits it should not be seen as a guaranteed way to help with depression.

The verdict:

“If you suffer from depression, don’t be too quick to assume that soft drinks are to blame. Take your symptoms seriously and see your GP for some help,” says Dr Radha. “They will have a chat with you and try to help. If you don't feel this is possible, there are many organisations like the Samaritans or MIND who can help you.

“Don't suffer in silence and don't think that by just cutting out fizzy drinks that your depression will miraculously disappear. Get some professional help.”