A new study published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation reveals that consuming sugary drinks and fruit juice from childhood through adulthood may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure later in life. The research, which followed more than 25,000 participants for up to 25 years, found that those who drank two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a 52% higher risk of high blood pressure compared to those who consumed less than three servings per week.
Senior study author Vasanti Malik, Sc.D., M.Sc., from the University of Toronto and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, emphasized that dietary habits in early life can have lasting health consequences. High blood pressure is emerging earlier in life, highlighting the importance of early prevention. The study analyzed data from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), which included children aged 9 to 16 at baseline, predominantly non-Hispanic white participants. Dietary intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaires, and blood pressure was self-reported through 2021.
Key findings include that each daily serving of soda was associated with a 23% higher risk, and sports drinks with a 36% higher risk of high blood pressure. Fruit juice consumption of 1.5 or more servings per day was linked to a 35% higher risk compared to less than one serving per week. Notably, orange juice specifically was associated with a 20% higher risk per daily serving. However, substituting one serving per day of sugary beverages with whole fruit was associated with a 22% lower risk, and replacing fruit juice with whole fruit resulted in a 19% lower risk. Substituting with milk or water also reduced risk by up to 13%.
American Heart Association volunteer expert Amit Khera, M.D., FAHA, noted that these findings add new insights by focusing on childhood and demonstrating that the type of food matters more than total fructose intake. He also highlighted that the study population was mostly white, but since non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic Americans have higher sugary drink intake, the findings may be even more relevant for those groups.
The study's limitations include reliance on self-reported data and potential misclassification of orange-flavored drinks as pure juice. The American Heart Association advocates for policies to reduce sugary drink consumption, such as taxes and improved nutrition standards in schools. The complete study is available at Circulation.
