Istyanto, Febry; Liza Virgianti; Ika Wijayanti; Sophian Aswar
Background: The rising global burden of hypertension presents a massive public health challenge, with its mitigation heavily tied to modifiable dietary factors. Among these, the escalating intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has emerged as a significant dietary risk. Objectives: This study aims to synthesize recent epidemiological evidence regarding the association between various types of sweetened beverages and the risk of hypertension. Methods: A narrative-analytical review was conducted by retrieving observational studies and meta-analyses published between 2023 and 2026 from the Scopus database using explicit keyword combinations targeting SSBs, prospective cohorts, and blood pressure outcomes. Findings: Synthesized data reveals that high consumption of traditional SSBs significantly increases hypertension risk by 13% (RR: 1.13) and elevates systolic blood pressure in children, primarily driven by excess liquid calories. Artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) show a 14% risk increase in observational data, potentially confounded by reverse causation, whereas acute pure fructose ingestion triggers rapid transient blood pressure elevation. Energy drinks induce rapid 24-hour blood pressure spikes due to high caffeine content. Conversely, 100% pure fruit juice exerts a protective effect (RR: 0.74) via endothelial-improving polyphenols, while honey demonstrates a neutral effect. Implications: Public health policies must implement aggressive regulatory interventions, such as taxation on SSBs and energy drinks, alongside targeted dietary counseling that differentiates between harmful liquid sugars and protective natural fruit juices.