Sweet Drinks May Reduce Office Stress: This Week on AOL Health

The vending machine in your office may actually be beneficial (but not to your waistline). A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that sweet beverages may actually help curb your work-related stress and hostility.

The Australian researchers provided study volunteers with either lemonade with real sugar or lemonade with an artificial sweetener. And when asked to perform a series of tension-filled tasks, those who consumed the sugar-filled drink were less likely to get angry.

California nutritionist Dr. Douglas Husbands told AOL Health that the best options for reaping these benefits may be fruits and nuts, instead of sweet drinks. That way, you can avoid the crash of a sugar high.

"Having sugar could help with their cognitive thinking and control, and response to stress temporarily," Husbands said. "It could improve their performance. ... But these things would be temporary fixes."

Go to AOL Health to read more about the study and sugar's potential benefits.

Need new healthy food ideas for your kids? Try these 10 nutrient-packed snacks.