EXPERT OPINION BY BILL MURPHY JR., FOUNDER OF UNDERSTANDABLY AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, INC. @BILLMURPHYJR

Feb 21, 2026

Soda pattern. Photo: Getty Images

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A few years ago, I basically stopped drinking soda.

I didn’t taper off or make a big public declaration; I just quit after reporting on a couple of large studies that made the habit feel less casual and more like a repeated bet against my future self.

At the time, most of the concern centered on physical health.

Research had linked higher consumption of both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks with increased risks ranging from circulatory problems to overall mortality.

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Now a new study suggests there may be another reason to think more carefully about sugary drinks—especially for kids—and it’s one I hadn’t focused on much before.

‘Energy dense but low in nutrients’

Researchers affiliated with Bournemouth University published a systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics examining sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and anxiety in adolescents.

Across the studies they analyzed, higher intake was associated with higher odds of anxiety disorders.

Across the studies they analyzed, higher intake was associated with higher odds of anxiety disorders.

The research team reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025 and ultimately included nine studies. Seven of the nine reported a significant positive association between sugary drink intake and anxiety.

Lead author Dr. Chloe Casey, a lecturer in nutrition, said the mental-health angle is often overlooked in diet research:

“With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasized the physical consequences of poor dietary habits,” she explained, “however, the mental health implications of diet have been under-explored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients.”

‘An unhealthy connection’

The authors are explicit about the study’s limits, specifically that this research does not prove sugary drinks cause anxiety.

Most of the underlying studies were observational and survey-based, which means the relationship could run in multiple directions. Kids who already feel anxious might consume more sugary drinks, or both could be driven by other factors such as sleep problems or family environment.

Even with those caveats, the researchers said the pattern was consistent enough to warrant attention.

“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,” Casey said.

1 in 5 children and adolescents

It’s also worth noting what counts as a sugar-sweetened beverage in this research.

The category extends beyond traditional soda to include energy drinks, sugary juices, sweetened teas and coffees, flavored milks, and similar high-sugar drinks. That broader definition matters, because many families that rarely buy soda still wind up with kids consuming a steady stream of liquid sugar in other forms.

The backdrop here is also notable.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health challenges for young people, and estimates cited in the study summaries suggest roughly one in five children and adolescents had a mental health disorder in 2023.

None of this means parents need to turn the occasional soda into a major battleground. But after years of writing about parenting and habits, I keep coming back to the same theme: everyday defaults tend to matter more than occasional treats.

Small, repeatable patterns

I’ve written before about how small, repeatable patterns—from how we respond to kids’ emotions to what we normalize at the dinner table—quietly shape long-term outcomes. Like, here, here, and here.

Seen through that lens, the practical takeaway is straightforward.

It makes sense to think of sugary drinks the same way most families already think about dessert: fine once in a while, but not the default option for everyday hydration.

In parenting, the habits that feel the most ordinary today are often the ones that matter the most in the years to come.