Salt has long been the enemy for people suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure), but now another white granular substance will be joining its ranks on the restriction list: sugar. High consumption of sugar-based products—including those made from high-fructose corn syrup—has been shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure, while cutting back on such products can lower the risk.
Researchers at the University of Colorado conducted a study consisting of 4,528 men and women ages 18 and older with no previous history of high blood pressure. Detailed dietary intake was gathered from each participant, including both food and drink. Those with diets that contained 74 grams of high fructose products had up to a 77 percent higher risk of hypertension.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has come under fire from a variety of sources as an unhealthy sweetener frequently used in beverages and other food products due to its low cost. HFCS is a mixture of fructose and glucose, both components of common table sugar. The difference is in the ratio of the two in HFCS, which causes the body to respond differently.
The study showed that the more fructose that appeared in the participant’s diet, the more likely they were to have increased blood pressure. While other factors could be at play, such as obesity, stress and disease, the odds of increased blood pressure due to fructose was above average in this study.
The last century has seen a rise in hypertension, with almost one-third of Americans having elevated blood pressure, although not all require medication and diet to keep it in check. If you have high blood pressure there are ways to lower and keep it in check. Diet and exercise, as well as reducing stress, are the obvious solutions. Low-carb diets have been proven to lower your blood pressure, so you might try either Atkins or the South Beach Diet, reviews of which can be found on the HealthNews Diet Pages. And according to HealthNews columnist Melanie Grimes, you can lower your blood pressure naturally through specific vitamins, foods and natural remedies.
