A recent scientific study has shown that regular consumption of fruit juices and sugary drinks in childhood increases the risk of developing high blood pressure in adulthood.
The researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing data from more than 25,000 participants who were followed for 25 years. The participants periodically provided information about the details of their diet, including their consumption of soft drinks, sports drinks, juices, and fresh fruits.
The results showed that people who consumed at least two servings a day of sugary drinks had a 52% higher risk of developing high blood pressure in the future compared to those who consumed them less than three times a week. Each additional daily serving of soft drinks was associated with a 23% increased risk, while the figure for sports drinks was 36%.
The study revealed unexpected results regarding the consumption of natural juices, as it was found that those who consumed at least one and a half servings of these juices daily had a 35% higher risk of developing high blood pressure. The association was more pronounced with orange juice in particular, as each daily serving of it was associated with a 20% increase in risk.
In contrast, whole fruits did not show any similar negative effect. On the contrary, researchers' calculations indicated that replacing one daily serving of sugary drinks with fresh fruit could reduce the risk of high blood pressure by 22%, while this reduction reaches 19% when replacing juice with fruit.
The study authors stressed that cardiovascular health requires prioritizing the consumption of whole fruits, while adhering to moderate consumption of sweetened beverages and even 100% natural juices.
