Eating a lot of added sugars, especially fructose, might raise your blood pressure over time—studies show an average increase of about 7 points for the top number and 6 points for the bottom number after eating lots of sugar for at least two months.

Eating normal amounts of sugar doesn’t make your blood pressure go up, raise uric acid (which can cause gout), or cause fat to build up in your liver — unlike what some people claim.

If healthy people eat a lot of fructose (like in sugary drinks and snacks) for just two weeks, their blood pressure goes up, their insulin and fat levels rise, and they’re twice as likely to show signs of metabolic syndrome.

If you eat more than 74 grams of fructose a day—like from sugary drinks or sweets—you’re much more likely to have high blood pressure, especially readings like 160/100 or higher.

Eating more sugar—like 50 grams extra a day—seems to go hand in hand with a higher chance of getting heart disease, which might mean sugary foods are part of why some diets lead to heart problems.

Eating more sugar—like an extra 50 grams a day—might raise your chance of getting heart disease, even if you’re eating healthy otherwise.