Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Fruit Juice in Youth Linked to Higher Risk of High BP Later in Life

Children and adolescents who regularly consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and fruit juice may face a significantly higher risk of developing high blood pressure (BP) in adulthood, whereas whole fruit consumption does not appear to increase risk. In the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), which followed 25,749 participants from a mean age of 12 years through adulthood for up to 25 years, 1,625 individuals developed high BP. While total fructose intake itself was not associated with high BP risk, participants consuming at least 2 servings of SSBs per day had a 52% higher risk of high BP compared with those drinking fewer than 3 servings per week, and those consuming at least 1.5 servings of fruit juice daily had a 35% higher risk compared with those drinking less than 1 serving per week. In contrast, whole fruit intake was not associated with increased high BP risk. Importantly, replacing one daily serving of SSBs with whole fruit, milk, or water was associated with 22%, 13%, and 9% lower risks of high BP, respectively. Replacing fruit juice with whole fruit was also linked to a 19% lower risk. These findings suggest that the source and food matrix of fructose-containing foods matter, and support public health recommendations to limit excessive consumption of SSBs and fruit juice beginning in childhood to help prevent high BP later in life. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/