High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious health issue that affects approximately one in three Americans. It often goes undiagnosed due to a lack of apparent symptoms, but it can put you at risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, and stroke. While many factors contribute to high blood pressure, recent research suggests sugar may be the real culprit.
Contributing Factors to High Blood Pressure
Hypertension isn’t caused by a single factor. Instead, it develops due to a combination of genetics, family history, age, stress, weight, smoking, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, chronic kidney diseases, disorders of the adrenals and thyroid, and excessive salt intake.
For a long time, the general consensus has been that salt is the main dietary cause of high blood pressure. However, new research indicates that sugar – more specifically, fructose – plays an even bigger role.
The Sweet Danger of Fructose
A study published in the British Journal of Medicine’s publication, Open Heart, found that the monosaccharide fructose plays a significant role in the development of hypertension. This is alarming considering the high amounts of sugar – often hidden as fructose, sucrose, or high fructose corn syrup – found in the processed and packaged foods and drinks Americans consume daily.
The Worst Sweetener: Fructose
Among the various sugars, fructose was identified as the most dangerous in terms of causing high blood pressure. This is because fructose is the most common sugar in processed and packaged foods and drinks. Although high fructose corn syrup can be made up of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, its ratio can range up to 80/20, making it nearly twice as potent as sucrose (table sugar) and more difficult for the body to metabolize.
“Evidence from epidemiological studies and experimental trials in animals and humans suggests that added sugars, particularly fructose, may increase blood pressure and blood pressure variability, increase heart rate and myocardial oxygen demand, and contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance, and broader metabolic dysfunction,” the study’s researchers reported.
Given that obesity, metabolic syndrome, and systemic inflammation are significant factors in decreasing quality of life, it’s crucial to cut out processed foods and drinks from our diets and opt for natural alternatives instead.
Not All Sugars Are Created Equal
While the research on added fructose in packaged foods sends a clear message to avoid them, it’s important not to eliminate natural sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables as well. Interestingly, the study found no direct correlation between naturally occurring sugar and high blood pressure.
This indicates that when natural sugars are consumed alongside other nutrients like water, fiber, fats, and carbohydrates, the body can digest and process them effectively. In fact, during a trial where participants consumed 20 servings of whole fruit daily, there was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, even with a fructose intake of about 200 grams.
Eat from the Source
The key takeaway is to focus on consuming whole, unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible. Our bodies need carbohydrates, sugars, and salt, but they struggle to process them when they’ve been manipulated and repackaged. The sugars found in processed and packaged foods are worse for cardiovascular health and premature mortality than the added salt.
Conclusion
High blood pressure contributes to cardiovascular disease, which is one of the leading causes of preventable premature death in developed countries. Although salt has long been thought to be the main dietary component of hypertension, recent findings suggest that sugars in processed foods, particularly fructose, are the real culprits. As a result, it’s essential to avoid or significantly limit sugar intake and processed foods for both weight management and cardiovascular disease prevention.
Making lasting dietary changes is no easy task, but prioritizing natural, whole foods over processed ones can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellbeing.
