Feeling restless, jittery, or more on edge than usual? Sometimes, the culprit isn’t just stress. It could also be in your cup. From sugary drinks to caffeine overload, everyday drinks can stir up anxiety. Here are eight of them that could be making your body more tense than calm.
8. Highly Sugary Hot Chocolate
Drinking hot chocolate is deeply soothing, but when it’s loaded with sugar, it comes with a blood sugar crash. And later, it can be followed by heightened anxiety. Studies suggest that diets high in added sugars may contribute to emotional fluctuations. So consider making a lightly sweetened cocoa drink instead, made with unsweetened cocoa powder, a bit of warm milk, and a touch of honey.
7. Highly Caffeinated Teas
While highly caffeinated teas like matcha and yerba mate offer antioxidants, they may also contribute to stress or anxiety. At moderate levels, matcha (with L-theanine), may promote focus, but in larger amounts, the caffeine could raise tension or interfere with sleep in sensitive individuals. You might want to try smaller servings of matcha or alternate with calming teas like mint or rosemary.
6. Sweetened Iced Teas
On warm days, a tall glass of iced tea can feel super refreshing and comforting. However, many bottled or cafe versions are loaded with added sugars. That means, they can also cause sudden sugar spike, followed by a crash that may increase irritability or anxious tension. As an alternative, try brewing your own tea and lightly sweetening it with fruit slices or honey.
5. Sugary Coffee Drinks
We’re talking about creamy coffee drinks (frappes and lattes) that truly feel comforting and indulgent. The problem is these coffee blends combine much caffeine and refined sugar, both of which subtly heighten jitteriness or anxious feelings. Additionally, high sugar intake may contribute to inflammation and mood shifts over time.
4. Fruit Juices with Added Sugars
Grabbing a glass of fruit juice feels like a healthy choice. After all, it’s made from fruit, right? The thing is many bottled or packaged juices contain added sugars and are stripped of fiber. Without fiber, the natural sugars hit your bloodstream quickly, leading to a spike and followed by a drop. This can leave you feeling irritable, restless, or shaky, and these are feelings that often overlap with anxiety.
3. Sugary Soft Drinks
When stress hits, drinking soda may feel soothing in the moment. However, those sugar-sweetened drinks can also lead to rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar. That roller-coaster can increase anxious feelings or irritability. Nutrition studies have also linked frequent intake of sugary beverage to higher odds of mood disturbance.
2. Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are quick fixes when we’re tired or overwhelmed. But later on…those high-caffeine and sugar blends may push our stress response system into high gear. This could worsen sleep troubles, anxious feelings, or mood swings. A more balanced option is to try green tea or coconut water with a splash of fruit.
1. Espresso
You might reach for a cup of espresso or another high-caffeine coffee when mornings feel overwhelming. While that’s a good choice to help you feel alert, note that in larger amounts, it can increase “fight-or-flight” signals like shaking hands, racing heart, and heightened tension. In a 2024 meta-analysis, even low doses were linked to a moderate increase in anxiety. Meanwhile, high doses (above 400 mg caffeine) had a strong effect.