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Drinking lots of sweetened soda may increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, two new studies find.
"Consumption of 500ml of a commercially available soft drink, sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup increased vascular resistance in the kidneys within 30 minutes," the researchers found.
In a second study, the investigators found changes in blood flow in the kidneys was caused by the corn syrup, not the caffeine, in the soda.
The two studies included a total of 25 healthy men and women, with an average age of 22 to 24.
Millions have chronic kidney disease
Christopher Chapman, of the University at Buffalo in New York, and colleagues explained that vascular resistance occurs when blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow in the kidneys and increasing blood pressure and impairing kidney function.
"Collectively, our findings indicate that [high-fructose corn syrup]-sweetened soft drink consumption increased renal vasoconstrictor tone at rest and during sympathetic activation," the study authors said in a news release from the American Physiological Society.
The report was published online recently in the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology.
Nearly 37 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. The foundation estimates kidney disease kills more people than breast cancer or prostate cancer.
Image credit: Getty
