15 foods to avoid for healthier blood pressure

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

It’s no shock that soda’s full of empty calories, but it is surprising how little it takes to impact blood pressure. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that just one sugar-sweetened beverage a day can bump your numbers higher. Combine that with another study in Nutrients that found reducing added sugar intake by just 2.3 teaspoons can lead to a drop hypertension readings and you have a legit reason for steering clear of the sweet stuff. (PS: A 12-ounce can of cola contains more than four times that amount of sugar.).