Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks, may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, researchers report.

Earlier evidence has shown that sugary drinks may be linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

In the recent study, researchers evaluated data from 810 overweight adults who participated in the 18-month-long PREMIER Study. The participants had borderline-high or stage 1 hypertension.

At baseline, six months and 18 months, the participants answered questions about their diets and had their blood pressure recorded. At the start of the study, people drank about 10.5 ounces of sweetened beverages daily. After 18 months, the participants' intake dropped to one-half serving.

The researchers found that decreasing sugar beverage intake by one serving daily was associated with a drop in both systolic pressure (by 1.8mmHg) and diastolic pressure (by 1.1mmHg).

For more information about high blood pressure, please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.

1. Chen L, Caballero B, Mitchell DC, et al. Reducing Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Is Associated With Reduced Blood Pressure. A Prospective Study Among United States Adults. Circulation. 2010 May 24. View Abstract
2. Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com