If you’ve experienced elevated blood pressure and have no clue what caused it, you may have to take a look at your daily soda intake.

New research now shows that the sugar in soda – and not caffeine – may be the cause of increased blood pressure. In a dietary and blood pressure study of 810 adults, it was found that reducing intake of sugar-spiked soda to one serving per day led to a significant blood pressure drop in 18 months. Overall, those in the study who drank less soda had lower blood pressure levels.

High blood pressure typically has few symptoms and is a risk factor for stroke, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and shortened life expectancy. Limiting sugary drinks to one per day is recommended until further research can effectively pinpoint the causal link of raised blood pressure.

—BeverageDaily

Labels: cravings, high blood pressure, sugar