Many manufacturers claim they add caffeine to beverages to enhance the flavor. But a team of researchers at SUNY Buffalo may have discovered a more insidious reason. A study they conducted recently showed that teens “learn” to love caffeinated sodas over time compared to others that have more or less the same taste. The more caffeine the drink contained, the more the teens were found prefer the soda.

“Over repeated testing days, participants increased their liking of the soda with the highest levels of caffeine, whereas there was no change in preference for sodas with low or no caffeine,” reporter Michelle Knott noted in the trade publication BeverageDaily.

According to a new study, teens learn to prefer the taste of caffeinated drinks. (Photo via EthicSoup.com)