Diet Associated with Hypertension
AMSTERDAM (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A diet with higher intakes of red meat and potatoes and less low-fat dairy and fruit is associated with higher blood pressure, higher total cholesterol and glucose.
These findings were reported in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Other studies have shown that interventions to change dietary patterns can be highly effective in reducing cardiovascular disease. However, the intervention diets used in those studies were very different from common dietary patterns in Western populations.
Rob van Dam, a researcher from the Netherlands and lead author on the study, performed a cross-sectional study of 19,750 men and women ages 20 to 65. Food consumption patterns were identified using a questionnaire. Three food patterns were identified during the study. Cosmopolitan diets had greater amounts of fried vegetables, as well as more salad, rice, chicken, fish and wine. Traditional diets had more meat and potatoes and less fruit. Refined-food diets had more French fries, high-sugar beverages, and white bread.
Results of the study identified that cosmopolitan diets were more likely to be associated with lower blood pressure and higher good cholesterol concentrations, while the traditional diet was associated with higher blood pressure, higher total cholesterol and glucose. The refined foods diet was associated with higher total cholesterol and decreased intakes of micronutrients.
These data suggest that public health efforts targeted at specific population subgroups may be warranted to address diet patterns and improve cardiovascular health.
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SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003;77:1156-1163
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