Does cutting out sugar lower blood pressure? The authors found that diastolic blood pressure (the lowest measure of pressure which occurs when your heart is relaxing between beats) decreased by five mmHg and levels of blood cholesterol decreased by 46 per cent. They also found a marked improvement in glucose tolerance. Does sugar temporarily raise blood pressure? “Consuming sugar increases insulin levels,” study author James DiNicolantonio tells me, “which activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increases in heart rate and blood pressure.” It also apparently reduces the sensitivity of the receptors that regulate our blood pressure.