However, German scientists in new research have revealed that consumption of these drinks can also affect mental health. According to them, drinks affect the negative intestinal microbiome, which then affects the brain centers and causes depression. This is especially true for women.
The research included 405 patients diagnosed with depression aged eighteen to sixty -five years (eighty -five percent of women), whose results were compared to the control group of 527 people without depression. All participants kept records of the consumption of carbonated drinks and filled the standardized food intake questionnaire (FFQ2). The depressive symptoms were evaluated using a BDI-i scale.
The results show that higher consumption of carbonated beverages was related to women with more severe depressive symptoms and also with an increased incidence of Eggerthella bacteria in the intestinal microbiome. This formula did not appear in male participants, although men drank carbonated drinks more. According to the leaders of the authors, sex hormones that affect the composition of microbioma play the role of the gender.
“The consumption of sweetened carbonated beverages can contribute to depression through changes in intestinal microbioma, especially the bacteria of the genus Eggerthella. The consumption of sweetened carbonated beverages is therefore a widespread risk factor that can be completely avoided“the authors said. The study was published in Jama.
