Do sugary drinks "hit" your nerves?

Adolescents who frequently drink sugary drinks are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, a new scientific review and meta-analysis has found. The work involved researchers from Bournemouth University and was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

The authors analysed data from several studies where the consumption of sugary drinks and mental health status of adolescents were assessed using questionnaires. These drinks included sodas, energy drinks, sugary juices and 'juice-like' drinks, syrups/diluted drinks, sweet tea and coffee, and flavoured milk.

All of the studies reviewed showed the same pattern: the higher the consumption of sugary drinks, the more frequent the anxiety symptoms. The researchers emphasise an important point: this is an association, not a proven causal effect. That is, it cannot be said that sweet drinks directly "cause" anxiety. The opposite is also possible - teenagers with anxiety are more likely to choose sweets. In addition, both factors may be influenced by common causes, such as family stress or sleep problems.

The authors note that discussions of adolescent nutrition tend to emphasise the effects on the body - obesity and type 2 diabetes - while the possible effects on the psyche, especially in the context of nutritionally "empty" but calorie-dense drinks, are notably less studied. With anxiety disorders remaining a major cause of psychological distress in young people, the search for modifiable habits becomes particularly important. (In England in 2023, for example, around 1 in 5 children and young people in England had a probable mental disorder.)