Drishtikone
We know sodas are bad for health and body. But beyond the bodily impact, Sodas seem to be really harmful for the mind as well.
In a preliminary release of a study to be published Honglei Chen and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health, a survey of 263,925 adults nationwide indicated that consumption of sweetened drinks—especially diet sodas—was associated with an increased chance of a depression diagnosis.
What the team found in this research was that yes, Sodas were bad, but Diet Sodas were even worse and could lead to an even greater risk of Clinical Depression.
They found that those who drank four or more cans of sweetened drinks (whether soda, diet soda or fruit punch) had a significantly higher chance of being among the 11,311 study participants who were later diagnosed with clinical depression that those who didn’t. For sodas as a whole, there was a 30 percent greater chance of depression, but diet sodas carried a further 22 percent increase as compared to regular ones.
Man, is there no redemption for the Americans at large? It seems there is! Coffee!
Interestingly, regular coffee consumption was associated with a 10 percent lower chance of depression.
Now it may add to other complications, but at least for the depression, it seems to be helping. However, being the “nice” scientists that these guys are, they somehow say in it their usual confusing lingo… and bring in the difference between Correlation and Causative. Here it seems, as a disclosure, that it is merely correlational. So it may well be possible that all those who are anyway clinically depressed love the sodas… and those who are exuberant in life are busy drinking jars and jars of coffee.
Am not sure if you have seen all such people, but what the heck. However, an important lesson given the research – if you see yourself drinking a lot of sweetened drinks – either you are already a case of Clinical Depression (and should probably have known it by now – possibly already seeing a shrink) or you will surely end up there – given if the study unearthed Causation or mere Correlation. In either case, a shrink would be your best friend soon, if he isn’t already.
Featured Image Credits: globochem3x1minus1
Related articles from External Sources
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In