Katelyn Zanchetta rarely drinks coffee and soda.
After hearing about a recent study that found a relationship between drinking soda or coffee and depression, she will continue her ways.
“That definitely won’t change my drinking habits,” said the 20-year-old nursing sophomore.
The study, released last week, compiled data from about 260,000 participants aged 50 to 71 regarding their drinking habits from 1995 to 1996. Recently, the researchers surveyed the participants again to determine how many had been diagnosed with depression.
The results, supported by the National Institutes of Health, found participants who consumed heavily sweetened drinks such as fruit punch and soda were at an about 30 percent higher risk of depression than those who didn’t. Drinkers of diet beverages were at an even higher risk.
However, those who drank significant amounts of coffee — more than four cups a day — were at a 10 percent lower risk than non-coffee drinkers.
“It’s kind of an odd study,” said Wendy Dahl, an assistant professor in UF’s food science and human nutrition department. “It’s interesting to choose a 50-to-71 age bracket. You wouldn’t think they would be the primary soda drinkers.”
The study stated the association of depression risk with sugary drinks or coffee did not necessarily mean one causes the other.
“One of the limits of a [long-term] study is you can’t do a cause-and-effect relationship. There are so many factors involved with humans,” Dahl said, “but the large sample for the study is very helpful for that.”
