Although this study found that drinking coffee was inversely associated with depression, Pallian said evidence so far on coffee’s depression risk-reducing effects has largely been observational, and no definitive causal links have been established regarding coffee drinking’s potential to prevent depression.
“A meta-analysis of 29 studies involving 422,586 participants found a similar association. Higher coffee intake was linked with a lower risk of depressive symptoms, and each additional 240 mL [milliliters] of coffee per day was associated with an approximately 4% reduction in depression risk,” she said.
“This evidence is more consistent, but we don’t have trials to make the conclusion that drinking/initiating coffee drinking is a mode to treat or prevent depression,” Odegaard said.
“[The study] could identify an association but not establish cause and effect. Overall, the evidence is still too limited and inconsistent to define a specific cutoff, although higher added-sugar intake may be associated with poorer mental health outcomes, particularly in younger people,” Pallian added.
