Earlier this year, I told you about a study that offered a non-drug solution, and a faulty one, for lowering your hypertension risks: Passing up meat entirely for a strict vegetarian diet. New research has determined lowering your meat intake, while adding vegetables and fruits, reduces a patient's risk of elevated blood pressure, specifically in young adults (ages 18-30).
Scientists studied the prevalence of high blood pressure versus the use of a drug in some 4,300 patients, divided almost equally between black and white people, with dietary evaluations at the start and end of the study.
Not surprisingly, patients cut their risk of high blood pressure as much as 36 percent by raising their intake of vegetables. Eating dairy products didn't affect blood pressure consistently, but higher amounts of meat did, according to the study.
Eating more vegetables isn't a bad thing at all, especially if that means curbing your intake of processed foods. But cutting out meat entirely for many of you is a very bad idea, based on your body's unique nutritional type. About a third of you are carb types, meaning you'll feel better if as much as 70 percent of your daily food intake is vegetables, but your body still needs some animal protein.
Also, your body won't get the right amount of vitamin B12 from plant sources alone.
If you're having trouble with high blood pressure, start taking better control over it first by taking my free nutritional type test so you can learn what foods your body burns best.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 6, December 1, 2005: 1169-1177
Yahoo News December 16, 2005