High Sugar Diet Increases Blood Pressure in Men

A new study has found that as little as two weeks on a high fructose diet raises blood pressure in men. The study also found that a drug used to treat gout by lowering uric acid helps to prevent that increase in blood pressure.

The study found that men on a high fructose diet for 2 weeks experienced average blood pressure increases of 6 millimeters of mercury in systolic blood pressure and a 3 millimeter rise in diastolic blood pressure (the pressure when the heart beats).

Unfortunately this drug can be deadly on rare occasions, so more research is warranted before doctors recommend using it in a clinical setting for lowering blood pressure. The research also found that fructose consumption may be a cause of metabolic syndrome, and that it could be partly responsible for the diabetes and obesity epidemics.