Kids who drink more fruit juice have higher blood pressure risk as adults

A long-term study found that children consuming more sugary drinks and fruit juice were more likely to develop high blood pressure in adulthood.

In Short

• Two daily sugary drinks were linked with a 52% higher risk
• Each serving of soda and sports drinks further raised hypertension risk
• Heavy fruit juice intake also showed elevated risk despite healthy perceptions

Children who regularly drink sugary beverages and fruit juice could be increasing their risk of developing high blood pressure as adults, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

Researchers found that people who consumed more sweetened drinks and fruit juice from childhood into adulthood were more likely to develop hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

The study followed more than 25,000 participants in the US for up to 25 years, tracking their dietary habits from ages 9 to 16 into adulthood.

Participants who drank two or more servings of sugary beverages a day had a 52% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who consumed fewer than three servings a week. A serving was defined as a 12-ounce glass or can.

Sodas and sports drinks were particularly linked to the increased risk. Each daily serving of soda raised the risk by 23%, while sports drinks increased it by 36%.

The researchers also found that drinking fruit juice in excess may not be as harmless as many people believe. People who drank one and a half or more servings of fruit juice daily had a 35% higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who drank less than one serving a week.

"Dietary habits in early life can have lasting health consequences," said senior author Dr. Vasanti Malik, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and adjunct faculty member at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

She noted that high blood pressure is now appearing at younger ages, making prevention during childhood increasingly important.

The study found that healthier substitutions could lower the risk. Replacing one daily serving of sugary drinks with whole fruit was associated with a 22% lower risk of high blood pressure. Swapping fruit juice for whole fruit reduced the risk by 19%.

Replacing sugary drinks with water or milk was also linked to up to a 13% lower risk.

"Fruit juice intake may be harmless at low levels yet harmful at higher intake levels. They should always be 100% fruit juice and consumed only in moderation. Whole fruit should be emphasised over sugary beverages," Dr. Malik said.

Researchers said the findings challenge the common belief that all sources of fructose are equally harmful and that fruit juice is always healthy.

The researchers cautioned that the study was observational and cannot prove that sugary drinks directly cause high blood pressure. However, they said the findings underscore the importance of healthy eating habits early in life.

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