Blood Pressure and Soda

Drinking fewer sugary drinks may lower blood pressure.
The Los Angeles Times (5/24, Stein) "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 (5/25, Steenhuysen) 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 (5/24, Knox) "Shots" blog pointed out that "Americans drink two 12-ounce servings of these sugary drinks a day, on average."