That’s according to a new study that also reveals drinking coffee may slightly lower the risk.
The finding comes from US researchers who studied the drink consumption of 263,925 men and women aged 50 to 71.
Researchers measured amount of drinks such as fizzy drinks, tea, fruit punch and coffee each participant consumed from 1995 and 1996.
10 years after the initial evaluation, participants were asked whether they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000.
According to the study, a total of 11,311 participants had been diagnosed with depression since 2000.
Researchers found that people who drank more than four cans of fizzy drink a day were 30% more likely to have been diagnosed with depression compared to those who did not drink fizzy drinks.
However, the study found that participants who drank four cups of coffee a day were about 10% less likely to develop depression than those who did not drink coffee.
The authors noted that more research is needed to confirm the latest findings, and recommends that people with depression should continue to take depression medication prescribed by their doctors.
Researchers will present the study at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego in March 2013.
