The Los Angeles Times “Booster Shots” blog reported that “there may be a link between drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages and lowering blood pressure,” according to a study published in the journal Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers followed “810 men and women age 25 to 70 who were part of a lifestyle intervention study and had prehypertension or stage I hypertension.”
The researchers found that “drinking one less serving, or 12 ounces, of sugar-sweetened beverages per day was associated with 1.8 drop in systolic blood pressure, and a 1.1 drop in diastolic blood pressure over 18 months.”
Reuters quotes one of the study authors as saying, “If you reduce your consumption by two servings, you would probably lower your blood pressure even more.”
The NPR “Shots” blog pointed out that “Americans drink two 12-ounce servings of these sugary drinks a day, on average.”
So, you know what to do … now do it! Simple significantly reduce (or, better yet, cut out) those soft drinks and other sugary drinks from your diet. Nothing better than good old water … even if you use flavored water like I do!