Researchers belonging to the University of Minnesota studied the blood pressure (BP) and eating habits of 4,304 people over a period of 15 years. The subjects were aged between 18 years and 30 years. An inverse connection was seen between the blood pressure level and consumption of fruit, nuts, whole grain, and milk, when in comparison to low plant food intake.
The risk of BP is reduced by 27% and 36% by the consumption of the second and fifth quintiles. High BP is connected with processed and red meat. There was no consistency in the connection between the risk of BP and dairy products. Lesser consumption of meat and higher levels of plant food, low-fat dairy foods and fruits may contribute significantly towards reducing the risk of BP.Another study with obese subjects with the required exercise and a high-fiber low fat diet contributed towards bringing down glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin levels, even though this does not affect the body weight.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet (DASH) is being promoted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to bring down the number of hypertension cases. The DASH diet is rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium from dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
The risk of BP is increased through the consumption of alcohol and a high sodium intake, in addition to obesity. Both hypertension and high BP lead to heart disease and stroke.
