Is there anything sweeter than being 16?
Whether it’s slurping on soda slushies, glugging boba tea or downing energy drinks, teens have plenty of access — and love — for sugary beverages. The ensuing physical pitfalls of excess sugar consumption in drinks, like obesity and Type 2 diabetes, have been well documented.
Now, a new study from researchers at Bournemouth University is taking a different approach: Examining the effects of excess sugar on mental health in adolescents. In the meta-analysis published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, scientists looked at survey data that reported on sugar consumption and symptoms of mental health.
They found an association between drinking high numbers of sugary beverages and more symptoms of anxiety.
Specifically, an elevated intake of sweetened drinks was linked with 34% higher odds of adolescent anxiety disorders, with longitudinal data emphasizing a pattern of its persistent impacts on mental health.
While this doesn’t show that sugary drinks cause anxiety, authors say it’s a connection worth paying attention to. This is the first systematic review that links sugar-sweetened beverage intake to teen anxiety.
Currently, anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness kids and teens contend with.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11% of kids ages 3 to 17 have anxiety.
The scientists suggest that future clinical interventions aimed at reducing sugar intake might help allay the rising frequency of anxiety disorders, specifically among teenagers.
It’s a sweet idea.