Switching to a vegetarian diet could cut blood pressure

Wednesday, 26 February 2014 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Eating a vegetarian diet is likely to keep your blood pressure low – and switching to one could cut your readings, claim researchers. A study found giving up meat can lead to falls in blood pressure similar to losing three-quarters of a stone in weight. The diet achieves around half the drop expected from prescription drugs, according to the research from Japan. Blood pressure is measured by checking two readings – systolic, which is the pressure inside arteries when the heart is forcing blood through them, and diastolic, which is the pressure when the heart relaxes.

Using a reading given in millimetres of mercury – written as mmHg – doctors can determine if it is high or low. Researchers analysed seven clinical trials and 32 studies from 1900 to 2013. In the clinical trials, participants eating a vegetarian diet had systolic blood pressure almost 5mmHg lower than those eating meat and fish. The fall was almost 7mmHg among vegetarians in the studies, said the report in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. For diastolic blood pressure, vegetarians saw differences of between 2.2mmHg and almost 5mmHg compared with meat-eaters. The report, from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, said this was equivalent to dropping 5kg (11 pounds) in weight or pursuing a low-sodium diet, and half the benefit found with modern medication. The main reason for the difference is thought to be the effect of a diet low in fat – partly through avoidance of red meat and also from higher consumption of vegetables. Eating more fruit and vegetables may also help due to their antioxidant effects.