High blood pressure may be caused by sugary drinks
New research may suggest a potential link between blood pressure increases and drinks containing loads of sugar, like soda.
These findings were determined by researchers at the School of Public Health at Imperial College London. What they found was that for each drink that participants consumed that contained a lot of sugar, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased.
High fructose corn syrup, the beverage industry’s favorite sweetener, contains both glucose and fructose. Both of those sweeteners were directly linked to higher blood pressure figures.
Additionally, researchers noticed that individuals who consumed higher levels of sodium and sugar experienced greater risks of hypertension.
Another finding during the study showed that while diet soda showed no link to increased blood pressure, diet soda drinkers typically had lower activity levels and also had body mass index numbers which were higher than regular soda drinkers.
The entire report can be found in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.
As a recommendation, experts suggestion drinking water and adding flavors like lemon, lime, or even orange as a way to drastically reduce sugar consumption.
