Risk for hypertension for those who consume too much fructose

American scientists found out, that with a daily consumption of 74 grams of fructose rises by 26 per cent the risk of exceeding the arterial blood pressure of 135/85 mmHg and by 77 per cent the risk of exceeding the pressure of 160/100 mmHg. Today the blood pressure is considered normal up to 140/90 mmHg.

People who consume high amounts of fructose in the form of sugar added to food and drinks have an increased risk for developing hypertension, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The result, on the contrary, suggests verifying, whether the total abolition of taking this kind of sugar could restore the proper blood pressure values.

Hypertension is a pathological condition which is very common in Western countries and represents a major risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases. Medical research has been trying for years to identify environmental factors which are responsible for the development of hypertension, and fructose is suspected of playing an important role.

In the last century, the dramatic increase of the consumption of this simple sugar which is used to sweeten a wide variety of food prepared industrially, has gone hand in hand with the increased prevalence of hypertension.

To find out whether the increase of fructose consumption is actually related to hypertension, Diana Jalal and her colleagues at the Denver Health Sciences Center of the University of Colorado looked at data collected under the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006 . The study involved 4,528 U.S. adults older than 18 years who haven´t suffered from hypertension before.

The intake of fructose was assessed through questions relating to the consumption of meals and beverages such as fruit juices, soft drinks, confectionery and sweets.
Analysis of the data showed that with a daily consumption of 74 grams of fructose (corresponding to 2 and a half of a soft drink) rises the risk of exceeding the blood pressure of 135/85 mmHg by 26 per cent, the pressure of 140/90 by 30 per cent and 160/100 mmHg by 77 per cent.

The researchers concluded: "Even though the information obtained in our study is already very interesting, it requires further research through the performance of randomized clinical trials, because it´s necessary to find out, if a low level of fructose in the diet allows to prevent the development of hypertension."

Překlad: Pavla Čermáková

Zdroj: http://lescienze.espresso.repubblica.it