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SAN DIEGO (CBS Atlanta) – Open up that can of diet soda and out comes depression.
A new study has linked drinking diet soda to an increased risk of depression in adults. The study, conducted by Honglei Chen of the National Institutes of Health in Research Triangle Park, found that people who drank more than four soda cans or cups of soda a day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression symptoms compared to those who didn’t drink soda.
Interestingly enough, coffee has a reverse effect. Coffee drinkers who drink four or more cups of coffee a day are 10 percent less likely to develop depression compared to those who don’t drink coffee.
“Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” Chen said. “More research is needed to confirm these findings, and people with depression should continue to take depression medications prescribed by their doctors.”
The study looked at 263,000 people between the ages of 50 and 71. The study, which was presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting this week, found 11,311 depression diagnoses had been made.
