High intake of fructose may raise blood pressure

Eating too much fructose may raise blood pressure in people without a history of high blood pressure, according to a new study in the Jul 1 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.  

High blood pressure has been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney failure.

Dr. Michel Chonchol of the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center and colleagues analysed data on sugar consumption from a survey of more than 4500 adults and found that consumption of fructose is associated with increased blood pressure.  The more fructose a person used, the more likely he had high blood pressure.

The survey results showed that participants ate an average of 74 grams of fructose every day, equivalent to four soft drninks and a third had borderline high blood pressure and eight per cent suffered hypertension.

"After adjustment for demographics; comorbidities; physical activity; total kilocalorie intake; and dietary confounders such as total carbohydrate, alcohol, salt, and vitamin C intake, an increased fructose intake of >/=74 g/d independently and significantly associated with higher odds of elevated BP levels: It led to a 26, 30, and 77% higher risk for BP cutoffs of >/=135/85, >/=140/90, and >/=160/100 mmHg, respectively," the researchers wrote in their report.

The Corn Refiners Association suggested in a press release cited by Reuters that the researchers unfairly attributed all the effect of suagrs to fructose.  

Fructose is present in high fructose corn syrap and table sugar.  It is not as commonly used in foods and beveraes as high fructose corn syrap and table sugar.  The study indeed could not seperate the effects of fructose and glucose.

Dr. Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado -Denver and colleagues of the Mateo Orfila Hospital in Spain published a study in 2009 in International Journal of Obesty showing that excessive fructose intake helped raise blood pressure.

Dr. Johnson et al. gave 74 men 200 grams of fructose per day in addition to a normal diet. The amount of fructose is much higher than that commonly consumed by an American.

After two weeks on the fructose diet, the men increased systolic blood pressure by six millimeters and diastolic blood pressure by about three millimeters.

The good news is that most of the elevated blood pressure readings returned to normal after two months.

By Jimmy Downs

Photo credit: mercola.com