A systematic review and meta-analysis led by Bournemouth University researchers found a consistent association between higher consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and greater reports of anxiety symptoms among adolescents. The authors say the evidence does not prove sugary drinks cause anxiety, but argue the findings warrant more attention to diet’s potential links with teen mental health.
Researchers affiliated with Bournemouth University have published a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and anxiety outcomes in adolescents.
The paper, titled “Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in February 2026, according to materials released by the university and the study’s listing information.
The study was led by Dr. Karim Khaled, identified in the university materials as a former Bournemouth University PhD student who now works at Lebanese American University in Beirut. The review synthesized findings from previously published studies and analyzed combined data to assess whether patterns appeared consistently across different groups of young people.
Across the studies included in the review, higher reported intake of sugary drinks was consistently associated with higher reported anxiety symptoms. The underlying research largely used survey-based measures to assess both beverage consumption and anxiety symptoms, meaning the results reflect an observed association rather than a proven cause-and-effect relationship.
The authors described sugary drinks broadly to include beverages such as fizzy sodas, energy drinks, sweetened juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavored milks.
Dr. Chloe Casey, a Lecturer in Nutrition and co-author, said public health messaging has tended to focus on physical outcomes of poor diets. “With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasized the physical consequences of poor dietary habits, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes,” Casey said, adding that “the mental health implications of diet have been underexplored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients.”
Anxiety disorders remain among the most common mental health challenges affecting young people. The university materials cited a 2023 estimate that about one in five children and adolescents were living with a mental health disorder, with anxiety among the most frequently reported conditions.
The researchers cautioned that the evidence base they analyzed cannot establish that sugary drinks directly cause anxiety. They noted that reverse causation is plausible — adolescents experiencing anxiety might consume more sugary drinks — and that other shared factors, such as family circumstances or sleep disorders, could influence both diet and mental health.
“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. She added that anxiety disorders in adolescence “have risen sharply in recent years” and said identifying modifiable lifestyle habits could help inform prevention efforts.
