Reducing sweetened beverages a half serving per day resulted in an 1.8 point reduction in systolic blood pressure (the higher of the desired 120/80 reading) and 1.1 point reduction in diastolic pressure over an 18-month study of adults, average age 50.

The group’s daily average consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was well below the national American average of 28 ounces a day, with a serving size at 12 ounces.

“We found a direct dose-response relationship,” said study leader Dr. Liwei Chen, assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Public Health. “Individually, it was not a big reduction. But population-wise, reducing total consumption could have a huge impact.” via Bloomberg | Business Week

For more information on sugar in our food, see Body|Beauty|Culture topics: Sugar Shakedown