New research finds that milk tea is addictive and may increase the risk of depression and anxiety

In recent years, the popularity of milk tea in China has risen sharply, especially among young people. Milk tea shops have sprung up like mushrooms in the streets and alleys, becoming a popular beverage culture. It is worth noting that although milk tea is delicious, excessive consumption may also lead to high sugar and high calorie intake, which has adverse effects on health.

Recently, researchers from Tsinghua University and Central University of Finance and Economics published a research paper titled "New form of addiction: An emerging hazardous addiction problem of milk tea among youths" in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The study showed that drinking milk tea may lead to addiction and is associated with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

In this study, researchers analyzed 5,281 college students in Beijing, China, with an average age of 21. They collected data on the participants' milk tea drinking frequency, depression, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, etc. through questionnaires. The researchers also drew on the substance addiction criteria in DSM-5 to create a milk tea addiction questionnaire, investigated the trend of milk tea addiction, and analyzed the impact of milk tea addiction on adolescent mental health.

Milk tea addiction includes frequent drinking, dependence/craving, guilt, withdrawal symptoms, inability to stop, tolerance and the desire to stop.

In general, 77% of the participants drank at least 6-11 cups of milk tea in the past year, of which 20.6% drank 2-3 cups of milk tea per week, 2.6% drank 4-6 cups of milk tea per week, and 1.2% drank one cup every day.

Milk tea consumption by participants

The study found that being female and younger were significantly associated with the degree of milk tea addiction.

Analysis of various mental health factors and milk tea addiction found that higher levels of milk tea addiction were associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

The impact of milk tea addiction on mental health

Mediation analysis found that loneliness may mediate the relationship between higher levels of milk tea addiction and higher risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Mediation Analysis

The researchers said the results sounded a wake-up call for people, especially women, who seem to be particularly affected by milk tea addiction, possibly because they are the main consumers of milk tea. This result is consistent with previous studies that have shown that women are more likely to become addicted to sweets.

As for the mechanism, the researchers speculate that milk tea is a sugary drink that contains a lot of sugar. Early studies have shown that a high-sugar diet can increase cortisol levels and lead to disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). HPA is the main hormone system responsible for stress management, which has a profound impact on emotions and behaviors.

In addition, an early animal experiment showed that mice that drank milk tea for a long time showed anxiety, depression-like behavior and impaired cognitive function.
Still, this study is an observational one and cannot show cause and effect.

In summary, the results show that drinking milk tea may cause addiction symptoms and increase the risk of depression, anxiety, etc. The results remind people to control excessive intake and avoid its harm to physical and mental health.

Paper link:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.102