Soft Drinks News and Research

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Giving up sugary drinks might not mean choosing healthier options

Findings indicate that broader beverage policies, including taxes on non-sugar drinks, could encourage healthier choices and address public health concerns.

6 Nov 2026

Study links ultra-processed foods to poorer dietary quality

A higher proportion of ultra-processed food in the diet is generally associated with poorer dietary quality and, among adults, a somewhat higher prevalence of overweight and obesity.

2 Nov 2026

Fruit and sugary drinks stood out in a three-year study of teenage mental health

A three-year study of 6,537 Australian adolescents found that higher fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, while greater sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with increased risk. Vegetable consumption showed no significant association with either outcome, and the observational findings cannot establish cause and effect.

19 Oct 2026

Diet drinks showed no clear weight-loss edge over water after two years

In a two-year randomized trial combining assisted weight management with an unassisted follow-up year, completers maintained average weight losses of 4.8 kg with diet drinks and 3.7 kg with water. Researchers found no significant difference between groups, but fewer than half of the 493 participants completed follow-up.

11 Oct 2026

University of Liverpool study tracks long-term impact of non-nutritive sweetened soft drinks

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have conducted the longest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial on non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks.

29 Sep 2026

Healthy checkout ordinance linked to lower soda and candy sales

A new study found that a healthy checkout ordinance implemented in Berkeley, Calif. supermarkets, drug stores, and mass-market retailers in 2021 was linked to notable decreases in soda sales overall and small-package candy in supermarkets, but greater enforcement of such policies is essential for sustained and meaningful public health benefit.

10 Sep 2026

Some popular drinks were linked to depression and anxiety. Coffee was different

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6 Sep 2026

BMJ investigation exposes unhealthy food products at major UK school catering exhibition

As the government prepares to introduce updated school food standards, an investigation by The BMJ finds that more than a third of the firms exhibiting at the UK's biggest school food show sell products high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS).

19 Aug 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk in men

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) account for nearly 60% of adults' and 70% of children's energy intake in the United States.

12 Aug 2026

Father's diet before conception impacts baby's body composition

A father's diet can affect his children's health and body composition before they are even conceived. A study of 43 triads of fathers, mothers, and newborns treated in the public healthcare system of Ribeirão Preto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrated this.

28 Jul 2026

Some caffeinated drinks are linked to poorer memory

A study on caffeine's impact reveals product-specific effects on anxiety, memory, and stress among university students, highlighting mental health implications.

28 Jul 2026

Study finds some sweeteners can slow the growth of gut bacteria

Cambridge researchers have shown how commonly-used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria.

16 Jul 2026

Fear of new foods may affect more than dietary variety

Higher food neophobia was associated with poorer self-reported physical and mental health among 4,537 adults in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The relationship remained after accounting for age, gender, education, and country, although the cross-sectional study could not establish causation.

14 Jul 2026

Childhood sugary drinks and fruit juice linked to higher adult blood pressure risk

The study finds sugary drinks and fruit juice linked to hypertension, highlighting whole fruit as a healthier alternative for long-term heart health.

26 Jun 2026

Comprehensive food regulations lower obesity risk among children

Chile's complementary set of policies targeting food products high in fat, salt and sugar plausibly reduces the risk of school age children being overweight or having obesity, finds a study published in The Lancet.

11 Jun 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to measurable drops in human attention span

New research from Monash University, the University of São Paulo and Deakin University shows a diet high in heavily processed foods can negatively impact the brain's ability to focus and increases the risk of developing dementia.

25 Apr 2026

Young people prefer alcohol over non- and low-alcohol alternatives

Young people aged 16-25 in Great Britain are three times more likely to start drinking alcohol than non- and low-alcohol alternatives (62 per cent vs 17 per cent), while less than one in five (18 per cent) have never tried either, according to new research from the University of Sheffield.

24 Apr 2026