How vegetables cut blood pressure

Wednesday July 8th, 2009

An amino acid found in vegetable proteins such as whole grain rice and beans could help to lower blood pressure, it was reported last night.

Research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found that a 4.72 per cent higher dietary intake of the amino acid glutamic acid as a per cent of total dietary protein correlated with lower group average systolic blood pressure (lower by 1.5 to 3.0 millimetres of mercury, or mm Hg). Group average diastolic blood pressure was lower by 1.0 to 1.6 mm Hg.

Glutamic acid is the most common amino acid and accounts for 23 per cent of the protein in vegetable protein, such as beans, whole grain and soy products, and 18 per cent of animal protein.

Dr Jeremiah Stamler, professor emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, and lead author of the study, said the findings represented a "potentially important reduction".

"It is estimated that reducing a population's average systolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg could cut stroke death rates by six per cent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by four per cent," he said.

According to the American Heart Association, six per cent of stroke deaths correlated to more than 8,600 people, while four per cent of coronary heart deaths represented about 17,800 lives saved per year.

Researchers analysed data from the International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), on 4,680 people aged 40+ in 17 rural and urban populations in China, Japan, the UK and USA and examined eight blood pressure tests, four diet recall surveys and two 24-hour urine collections for each participant.

"We have a massive public health problem, and trying to address it by the strategy that has prevailed for years - diagnosis and drug treatment - is inadequate. While clinically useful, it fails as a long-term approach for ending this massive problem," explained Dr Stamler.

While there is no data on the possible effects of a glutamic acid supplement, he said the only long-term approach to preventing pre-hypertension and hypertension was to maintain a healthy body weight, eat a fruit and vegetable-rich diet and exercise regularly.

Other co-authors include: Martha L. Daviglus, M.D., Ph.D.; Queenie Chan, M.Phil.; Hugo Kesteloot, M.D., Ph.D.; Hirotsugu Ueshima, M.D., Ph.D.; Liancheng Zhao, M.D.; Paul Elliott, M.B., Ph.D.; for the INTERMAP Research Group.

Circulation July 7 2009

Tags: Heart Health | North America | Nutrition & Healthy Eating

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