foodconsumer.org: High Intake of High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to High Blood Pressure

High Intake of High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to High Blood Pressure
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admin on 11/05/2009 01:53:00
 
A new study has found that consumption of too much fructose, found in high
fructose corn syrup or HFCS, may increase risk of developing high blood pressure
(hypertension), which in turn is linked to high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Diana Jalal, MD of University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center and
colleagues reported the study at  the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd
Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, California.
HFCS is widely used in processed foods such as bakery products, candy and soft
beverages worldwide, because it renders unique sweetness, low cost and
advantageous processing properties.
Intake of high fructose corn syrup has been associated with a number of health
conditions, most noticeably the increased rate of obesity.
Incidence of obesity has sharply increased in the last 20 years since the
introduction of HFCS; Americans now use 30 percent more fructose than 20 years
ago.
The study of 4,528 adults aged 18 or older, with no diagnosed hypertension,
showed that those who consumed more than 74 grams per day of fructose, or 2.5
sugary soft drinks per day were at increased risk of developing hypertension.
"These results indicate that high fructose intake in the form of added sugars is
significantly and independently associated with higher blood pressure levels in
the US adult population with no previous history of hypertension," the authors
concluded.
By David Liu and editing by Rachel Stockton