New study shows soda consumption linked to increased violence in children

(http://www.cbsnews.com) A new study performed by researchers at Columbia University, Harvard and the University of Vermont has linked soda consumption to to aggressive behavior in children. The study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics on August 16.

For the study, researchers analyzed about 3,000 5-year-olds from 20 large U.S. cities. The children had all been enrolled in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a prospective birth cohort that follows mother-child pairs. Mothers reported their child's soft drink consumption and completed a Child Behavior Checklist based on their child's behavior during the previous two months. The researchers found that 43% of the children consumed at least 1 serving of soft drinks per day, and 4% consumed 4 or more.

After analyzing the data on the children, the researchers found that aggression, withdrawal and attention problems were associated with soda consumption. Even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, maternal depression, intimate partner violence, and paternal incarceration, any soft drink consumption was associated with increased aggressive behavior. The study found that children who drank 4 or more sodas a day were over twice as likely to destroy others' property, get into fights, and physically attack people. They also exhibited withdrawal behavior and problems paying attention.

Soda consumption has already been shown to be related to many adverse health effects, such as diabetes, depression, obesity, poor dental health, impulsivity and sleeping problems. Previous studies have also linked sugar consumption to an increased risk for violence in life.

"Soft drinks are highly processed products containing carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sodium benzoate, phosphoric or citric acid, and often caffeine, any of which might affect behavior," the authors of the study wrote.

"Furthermore, if they're drinking this much soda, it's probably taking away from other nutritional things the child could be eating," Shakira Suglia, ScD, one of the study's lead authors said to Reuters.

Reducing the amount of soda one drinks or, better yet, eliminating it from one's diet entirely is the best way to avoid these behavioral problems and make sure that you and your children stay in top health.