Physicians strongly recommend that fruits and vegetables be integral to treating hypertension. Studies confirm that diets rich in these natural foods lower blood pressure, reduce cardiovascular risks, and bolster kidney health due to their alkaline effects. These findings, outlined in a five-year randomized control trial published in The American Journal of Medicine by Elsevier, highlight the significant benefits of such dietary adjustments. Despite the advancements in pharmacological treatments for hypertension, the incidence of chronic kidney disease related to hypertension and its associated cardiovascular mortality continues to climb, with heart disease remaining the leading cause of death among these patients.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet emphasizes a high intake of fruits and vegetables. It has been shown to effectively lower blood pressure, marking it as the preferred initial treatment for primary hypertension. However, despite solid epidemiological evidence supporting it, the DASH diet is often under-prescribed and needs to be fully implemented. This diet, alongside others high in fruits and vegetables, is linked to various health benefits, including lower blood pressure, decreased chronic kidney disease progression, reduced cardiovascular risk, and decreased mortality from heart diseases.
Dr. Donald E. Wesson, MD, MBA, from the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and the study’s lead investigator, explains that his work on how kidneys manage blood acidity has been crucial in understanding dietary impacts on kidney and heart health. His team’s animal and patient studies have shown that diets high in animal products harm kidney health by forcing the kidneys to remove more acid from the blood, leading to injury. Conversely, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which lowers dietary acid, benefits kidney and heart health.
The recent study involved hypertensive patients without diabetes who had high levels of urine albumin excretion, a sign of severe kidney disease and an increased risk of worsening conditions and cardiovascular issues. The 153 participants were divided into three groups: one added 2-4 cups of alkaline-producing fruits and vegetables to their daily diet, another received sodium bicarbonate tablets, and a control group continued with standard medical care. The results showed that while the fruits and vegetables and the sodium bicarbonate improved kidney health, only the fruits and vegetables group saw reductions in blood pressure and improved cardiovascular risk indices.
Dr Maninder Kahlon, PhD, co-investigator from the Department of Population Health, highlights that the benefits of fruits and vegetables extend beyond kidney health to include significant reductions in blood pressure and cardiovascular risks, which were not observed with sodium bicarbonate. This underlines the necessity of prioritizing fruits and vegetables in hypertension treatment, allowing for lower doses of medications while achieving comprehensive health improvements.
The research team advocates for a shift in treatment paradigms, suggesting that dietary interventions, especially those rich in fruits and vegetables, should be the starting point for managing hypertension rather than secondary options following pharmacological interventions. This approach effectively manages blood pressure and provides protective benefits against kidney and heart diseases. Furthermore, they recommend that hypertensive patients discuss with their doctors the possibility of measuring their urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) to check for underlying kidney disease and associated cardiovascular risks, reinforcing the importance of preventive health measures in managing hypertension.
More information: Nimrit Goraya et al, Kidney and Cardiovascular Protection Using Dietary Acid Reduction in Primary Hypertension: A Five-Year, Interventional, Randomized, Control Trial, The American Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.06.006
Journal information: The American Journal of Medicine Provided by Elsevier
