Physical Wellness

Daily Fruit Juice Intake Increases Risk of High Blood Pressure

By Peter R | Update Date: Oct 13, 2014 05:59 PM EDT

If your breakfast routine involves a glass of fruit juice, you may be at risk of hypertension, according to a new study.

Researchers in Swinburne University of Technology, Australia found that daily intake of fruit juice can lead to increased central blood pressure, the pressure in aorta, a major artery that transports the blood pumped from the heart to the artery network. Increase in the central blood pressure has been linked to several conditions including heart attacks, researchers said. High amounts of sugar in fruit juice, has been named culprit.

"Although juices may have essential vitamins, they commonly contain high amounts of sugar with negligible fiber. Thus, frequent fruit juice consumption may be contributing to excessive sugar intake, typical of the Western population, exacerbating the prevalence of hyper-tension (high blood pressure) and cardio-vascular disease," said Matthew Pase from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, according to Economic Times

To arrive at the conclusions researchers studied the associated between fruit juice consumption and high blood pressure in 160 individuals over one year.

"Habitual fruit juice consumption was measured using a 12 month dietary recall questionnaire. On the same day, brachial BP was measured and central (aortic) BP was estimated through radial artery applanation. Frequency of fruit juice consumption was classified as rare, occasional or daily," authors wrote in the abstract of their study.

The researchers found that those who consumed juice daily were at significantly higher risk of developing hypertension.

"Central systolic BP was 3-4 mmHg higher for those who consumed fruit juice daily rather than rarely or occasionally. In conclusion, more frequent fruit juice consumption was associated with higher central BPs," researchers wrote.

The findings have been published in the journal Appetite.

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