The following literature indicates that when a person consumes soft drinks a couple of times a month, or on special occasions, there is less risk for that individual experiencing dire health issues.  However, when soft drink beverages are part of a person’s daily diet, those health risks increase exponentially!

When the brain is high on soft drink beverages:

The American Psychological Association (2023) defined major depressive disorder as “A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness and other symptoms of a major depressive episode but without accompanying episodes of mania or hypomania or mixed episodes of depressive and manic or hypomanic symptoms, included in DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5, and DSM-5-TR.  Also called major depression.”

Thanarajah, Ribeiro, and Lee et al (2025) reported that when a person is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, there is a strong likelihood that the person is a heavy consumer of soft drink beverages.  There is a strong possibility that there are changes in the gut microbiome when someone overloads on soft drink beverages, resulting in this mental health disorder.

Urugo, Kidane, Firew, Hunde, Endere, Semu, Getachew and Yirga (2026) mentioned the potential for depression in women and unhealthy attitudes in the adolescent population when these groups engage in consuming an overabundance of soft drink beverages.

There is also the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses from consuming soft drink beverages on a daily basis (Leech, 2026).  “…the higher your blood sugar, the higher your risk of dementia” (Leech, 2026).

Fitch (2023) reported that it’s important that children and adolescents reduce their consumption of these beverages since it increases their odds of experiencing weight gain and becoming obese.  The findings are based on a study that included information from 107 “countries and regions” that participated in the study.  The study included a comparison analysis of these groups who were overweight and obese and found that the groups that consumed at least one soft drink every day were the ones that experienced the most weight gain (Fitch, 2023).

“High sugar intake is associated with weight gain” (Leech, 2026).  

It really is a domino effect:  “In particular, fructose is linked to a significant increase in the dangerous fat around your belly and organs.  This is known as visceral fat or belly fat.  Excessive belly fat is tied to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease” (Leech, 2026).

As an aside, instead of these young people looking forward to having the time of their lives with everything positive waiting for them, medical appointments for diabetes and other health issues can become part of their monthly schedules.

Drinking these beverages on a routine basis can harm the body in ways we may not have thought of.

“Even just one sugary drink a day, after five to seven years, can lead to fatty liver disease, making you susceptible to heart disease and diabetes while also increasing your risk for cancer of the colon, pancreas and esophagus, to name a few” (Li, 2026).  

Li (2026) also indicated that regular soft drink consumption is as bad as consuming alcohol!  After the soft drink enters the liver, “sugar in beverages can get converted into fat that’s stored in liver cells.  Over time, that can lead to fatty liver disease, which can, if it doesn’t improve, cause severe scarring in the liver, also known as cirrhosis.  And that can be potentially life-threatening.”

Urugo, Kidane, Firew, Hunde, Endere, Semu, Getachew, and Yirga (2026) talked about other health issues that can result from daily soft drink consumption, such as “hypertension, reduced bone mineral density, and cardiovascular disease.”

Everyone by now has heard about cancer diagnoses among people under 50 years of age.  There could be a possible explanation for women being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Women who are under 50 years of age and are diagnosed with colorectal cancer may have been enthusiastic consumers of soft drink beverages when they were between 13 and 18 years of age and continued consuming these beverages in their adulthood (Washington State University Of Medicine, 2021).  

Washington State University Of Medicine (2021) further stated that, “Compared with women who drank less than one 8-ounce serving per week of sugar-sweetened beverages, those who drank two or more servings per day had just over twice the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer, meaning it was diagnosed before age 50.”

Vikki

References

American Psychological Association. (2023).  APA Dictionary Of Psychology.  Major Depressive Disorder. Retrieved From  https://dictionary.apa.org/major-depressive-disorder

Fitch, J.  (2023).  (Sr. ED.)  Daily Soft Drink Consumption Associated With Obesity, Overweight Children Prevalence.  Retrieved From https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/daily-soft-drink-consumption-associated-with-obesity-overweight-children-prevalence

Leech, J., MS.  (2026).  13 Ways That Sugary Soda Is Bad For Your Health.  Retrieved From https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-sugary-soda-is-bad-for-you

Li, N., MD, PhD.  (2026).  Does Soda Damage Your Liver?  Retrieved From https://health.osu.edu/wellness/prevention/your-liver-and-sugary-drinks

Thanarajah, S. E., MD (1,2,3,4), Ribeiro, A. H., PhD(5), Lee, J. (1,4), & et. al.  (2025).  Soft Drink Consumption And Depression Mediated By Gut Microbiome Alterations.  Retrieved From https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2839019

Urugo, M. M., Kidane, B., Firew, S., Hunde, W., Endere, S. D., Semu, A., Getachew, S, & Yirga, Y.  (2026).  Comprehensive Review Of Carbonated Soft Drink Consumption Rates And Their Public Health Importance.  Retrieved From https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-025-26141-2

Washington University School Of Medicine.  “Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Linked To Increased Risk Of Colorectal Cancer In Women Under 50, Study Finds.”  ScienceDaily.  Retrieved August 16, 2026 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210506183353.htm