Most of us would readily admit that we know our increased sugar intake isn’t really a healthy choice. Now, a new study has found a link between sugary beverages (not just sodas!) and teen anxiety.
Anxiety disorders in teens (that is, anxiety at a level that actually disrupts life) are on the rise, and there are likely many factors, including genetics, societal struggles, and, quite possibly, dietary choices. Sugary sodas and energy drinks, along with other treats and sweets, are a part of daily life for many teens.
Could limiting their intake reduce anxiety levels? Here’s what the study found.
Higher Intake Of Sugary Beverages Correlates With Higher Anxiety
The study didn’t limit itself to sodas. When teens drank higher amounts of sweetened beverages, including flavored milks, sweetened teas or coffees, and even sweet juices, they were more likely to report anxiety symptoms.
Because this study, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, was a meta-analysis across eleven previous studies that contained the relevant information, the exact data varies a bit. The individual studies can examine diagnoses or may include questionnaires that determine whether the subjects show signs of a diagnosable anxiety disorder.
What was consistent, though, across all of the data, was that higher sugary beverage intake correlated strongly with higher anxiety.
Is Correlation Causation?
The study authors acknowledge that the link may or may not be causal.
It’s possible, for instance, that those with higher anxiety levels are more likely to seek out sweeter beverages. Or, there could be another link that’s connected to both sweet beverage consumption and anxiety levels.
However, the link is strong enough to warrant consideration, and to suggest at least a possibility that decreasing one’s intake of sugary sodas, sweetened coffee drinks, energy drinks, and even chocolate milk and juices might be a step to reducing anxiety symptoms.
Teen Mental Health Is At Crisis Levels
In 2023, about 1 in 5 teens (20.3%) had a diagnosed mental health disorder, with anxiety disorders the most common, followed by depression, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health Data Briefs.
This represents a 35% increase from 2016 for mental health conditions overall, and a 60% increase in anxiety disorders specifically. While the annual data doesn’t delve into causes, teen life has been affected in the intervening period by factors such as the pandemic, changes in school and health protocols, increased screen time, and societal shifts.
The effects are also on clear display:
“Adolescents with a current diagnosis were 3 times as likely to be disengaged from school…4 times as likely to have parents/caregivers report 2 or more contacts from their school in the past 12 months about problems…5 times as likely to miss 11 or more days of school for health reasons in the past 12 months…[and] 10 times as likely to experience a lot of difficulty with making or keeping friends.”
Clearly, higher levels of anxiety hurt kids in the long-term, even if treatment helps to get the symptoms under control, because these experiences during adolescence tend to have lingering effects.
What Should Parents Do?
Don’t take this study as the final evidence that sugary drinks cause anxiety. However, do consider that they may be a factor, and consider limiting your child’s intake of sugary beverages, even if they don’t have a current mental health diagnosis.
You can consider substituting more water or more beverages with lower sugar levels. You can also monitor your child’s well-being and mood, and look out for correlations between periods of high sugary beverage intake and increased anxiety.
Talk to your child about the correlation, and encourage them to make healthier decisions for themselves, as well. (Restrictions imposed by parents only go so far; your child’s own choices will have a stronger impact.)
Then, keep an eye out for further studies, which could help confirm whether sugary drinks are having a causal effect on anxiety and whether other dietary choices could offer protective factors.