Soft drink and cordial are pure sugar or refined carbohydrate. They provide NO nutritional value, which is why the drinks are often referred to as “empty calories”.    NO ONE really needs to consume soft drink or cordial unless they have medical conditions requiring increased energy.

Soft drinks and cordial have also been linked to depression and stress which is another good reason, apart from whittling away your waist, to delete them from your daily diet.

Over the last few decades during my practice as both a dietitian and psychologist I have noticed that there appeared to be a definite link between a person’s sugar intake and their mood, general irritability and ability to cope and manage stress. I have listened to people regularly report better concentration, clearer thinking, more energy, greater happiness and well-being, and better stress management and coping after they have removed sugar from their diets, and I have often observed the changes they reported.

Confirming the patterns I have witnessed when people take sugar out of their diets, is a study just released in January 2010 that has identified a strong link between soft drink consumption and mental health problems in adults.

The study was conducted in South Australia. Of 4741 participants recruited for the study, 12.5% reported drinking more than ½ litre of soft drink daily! Analysis showed that high levels of soft drink consumption were positively associated with depression, stress-related problems, suicidal ideation, psychological distress and a current medical condition. There was, however, no positive association with anxiety. The study showed that those who drank more than ½ litre of soft drink daily had a whopping 60% greater risk of having these mental health conditions.

So, it is not good news for soft drink manufacturers, or for soft drink “users”. Not only does it add to your fat deposits, it impacts negatively on your mental health!

A thought: In view of the obesity epidemic scourging the planet, and research showing the link between soft drink and mental illness, perhaps we would be better off only being able to purchase these food on prescription from the doctor!

What do you think?

Resource:

Shi, Z., Tayor, A.W., Wittert, G., Goldney, R. & Gill, T.K. (2010). Soft drink consumption and mental health among adults in Australia. Public Health Nutr. (15), 1-7.