July 22, 2026
ByJoyce Hendley,
Staff Writer
- Reviewed byRobert H. Shmerling, MD,
Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Share
Print This Page
About half of US adults have high blood pressure. Could the sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice they consumed in childhood have shaped their later-in-life blood pressure risk?
That’s the implication of a major Harvard study, published online June 22, 2026, by Circulation. Researchers analyzed health data from 25,749 participants in the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) — a survey tracking how youth habits affect lifelong health. The participants — 55% females, and about age 12 when they enrolled — were followed for up to 25 years, with food records collected every one to four years
The results showed that people who drank the largest quantity of sugary beverages — two or more servings a day of sodas, sports drinks, and fruit juices — had a 52% higher risk of developing hypertension by the end of the study compared with those who rarely drank them (fewer than three servings per week). Specifically, for each additional average daily serving of soda, there was a 23% higher risk; with each additional sports drink serving there was a 36% higher risk. Heavy fruit juice drinkers (1.5 or more servings a day) had a 35% higher risk than infrequent drinkers.
But higher intakes of whole fruit were not linked to increased blood pressure risk — likely because whole fruits are processed differently by the body compared with juices, said the researchers. They estimated that replacing one daily serving of a sugary drink with water could result in a 9% lower hypertension risk; risk reductions from replacing sugary drinks with milk (13%) or whole fruit (22%) were also significant
Because this study was observational, it can’t directly prove that cutting back on sugary drinks earlier in life will lower blood pressure later. It also focused on younger people, so it may not apply to older adults. But the findings align with other research, suggesting the switch might yield health benefits at any age
Image: © RapidEye/Getty Images
About the Author
Joyce Hendley,
Staff Writer
Joyce Hendley is a staff writer who contributes articles to Harvard Health Publishing’s flagship website and its four newsletters: the Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Heart Letter, Harvard Women’s Health Watch, and Harvard Men’s Health Watch. She …
See Full Bio
View all posts by Joyce Hendley
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD,
Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. …
See Full Bio
View all posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Share
Print This Page
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician
