TORONTO – Drinking diet soda is linked to an increased risk of depression, an American study warned this week. That sweeping statement left readers worried, especially those who turn to artificially sweetened drinks to replace regular pop.
Headlines, such as “You may want to drop that diet soda,” and “Are diet soda drinkers more depressed?” littered the Internet as the study made its rounds.
Global News looks at the study findings, counter-arguments and a Canadian nutritionist’s expert opinion.
The study’s findings:
People who drink more than four sodas a day are 30 per cent more likely to develop depression than those who drank no soda, according to a study conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Four cans of fruit punch a day increased that number to 38 per cent, the authors reported. Those who drank diet soda were at an even greater risk.
Sound bite: “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,” the authors said in a statement.
The study’s findings were based on 264,000 adults 50 and older. Subjects’ intake of soda, fruit punch, tea and coffee was tracked from 1995 to 1996 and 10 years later, researchers asked participants if they had been diagnosed with depression.
The counter-argument:
The American Beverage Association dismissed the research.
Sound bite: “This research is nothing more than an abstract – it has not been peer-reviewed, published, or even, at the very least, presented at a scientific meeting,” the ABA said in a statement.
(The findings are preliminary so the full study has yet to be released)
Our expert weighs in:
Dr. Rena Mendelson, a nutrition professor at Ryerson University with more than 40 years of experience in the field, says that a single study isn’t sufficient to support this finding.
She said that readers should question study findings and what information is missing before judging.
“The real question is: what is it about people who would drink four cans of either pop or juice in a day? What does that say to the rest of their diet and lifestyle? How much exercise are they doing?” she says, noting that these questions aren’t answered in the study results so far.
“I don’t think we need to get these people checked to see if they’re depressed,” she said.
Still, Canadians shouldn’t turn to drinks with aspartame or sugar.
“There’s no nutritional benefit from either of those products unless you have a need for calories that you can’t meet with food and I would say there are other ways to get calories from these drinks,” she said.
And if those trying to lose weight are using diet soda to help them, Mendelson cautions: “People who use artificial sweeteners eat more than they normally would. If they’re using it to reduce calories, it’s not effective.”
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