MONDAY, Feb. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are positively associated with anxiety among adolescents, according to a review published online Feb. 10 in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Karim Khaled, Ph.D., from the Lebanese American University in Beirut, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2000 and 2025 to examine the association between SSB consumption and anxiety disorders among adolescents. Nine studies were selected: seven cross-sectional and two longitudinal.
The researchers found that seven of the studies reported a significant positive association between SSB consumption and anxiety, while no significant relationship was found in two. Over one year, small but persistent associations were seen in the longitudinal studies. A consistent, small positive relationship was demonstrated between SSB intake and anxiety symptoms in the studies using multiple linear regression. Higher SSB consumption was associated with increased odds of anxiety disorders in the meta-analysis random effects model, which was limited to studies reporting anxiety disorder as a binary outcome (odds ratio, 1.34).
"Whilst we may not be able to confirm at this stage what the direct cause is, this study has identified an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people," coauthor Chloe Casey, Ph.D., from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, said in a statement.