Diet High in Fructose Allegedly Linked to High Blood Pressure in Men
A recent study presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research Conference has reportedly claimed that a diet high in fructose raises blood pressure in men, but that the gout drug allopurinol may counteract this effect. “This is the first study to show that fructose can raise blood pressure in humans,” lead author Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado, Aurora, was quoted as saying.
The study followed 74 adult men, whose average age was 51, for two weeks as they consumed 200 additional grams of fructose per day. In addition, one-half of the participant pool acted as a control and one-half received allopurinol. The results apparently showed that the control group experienced significant average increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while the men taking allopurinol saw little or no increase in systolic pressure.
Johnson told a news source that it was “remarkable” how quickly people with diets high in fructose developed increased blood pressure and other risk factors associated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Allopurinol apparently seemed to halt the blood pressure increase by lowering uric acid, which affects blood pressure.
The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has reportedly refuted the study, saying it erroneously suggests that pure fructose and high-fructose corn syrup are equivalent ingredients consumed by Americans. “It is important not to treat studies involving massive levels of pure fructose as if they reflect what Americans eat,” the association’s president said in a September 24, 2009, press release. “A laboratory diet consisting of extreme amounts of pure fructose is not how sweeteners are consumed by real people, most of whom understand the value of moderation in what they eat. As many dietitians agree, all sugars should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle. Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and several fruit juices are all roughly equal in both fructose and glucose content and are nutritionally the same. High-fructose corn syrup is simply a kind of corn sugar.” See Reuters Health, September 23, 2009.
