While most people choose to go vegetarian for ethical reasons, researchers say there’s a more important reason to cut out the meat–it could lower your blood pressure.
Reporting in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers say that people who consumed a vegetarian diet were more likely to have lower levels of blood pressure than those who consumed a meat-based diet. Having lower blood pressure also meant their risk of heart disease was low–making it not just great for their blood, but their heart as well.
“Previous studies have suggested an association between vegetarian diets and lower blood pressure (BP), but the relationship is not well established,” say researchers in the online version of JAMA Internal Medicine. “Consumption of vegetarian diets is associated with lower BP. Such diets could be a useful nonpharmacologic means for reducing BP.”
To find out how vegetarian diets impact blood pressure readings, researchers initially performed a meta-analysis, or the analysis of several similar studies. In this instance, they look at over 30 studies between 1900 to 2013 which included participants who adhered to a vegetarian diet. From there, they tried to see if all of the studies shared a common link–and indeed they did. After narrowing down their search, they found that people who ate a vegetarian diet had consistently lower levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Those who chose to eat a omnivorous diet, or a diet containing vegetables and meat, had higher blood pressure, however, regardless of how healthy they ate.
For researchers, this shows that vegetarianism is the way to go.
“In the 7 controlled trials, consumption of vegetarian diets was associated with a reduction in mean systolic BP [blood pressure]and diastolic BP [blood pressure] compared with the consumption of omnivorous diets,” say researchers. “In the 32 observational studies, consumption of vegetarian diets was associated with lower mean systolic BP [blood pressure] and diastolic BP [blood pressure] compared with the consumption of omnivorous diets.”
Their recommendation? Going vegetarian could be a great way to lower your blood pressure without blood pressure drugs–and it could even lower your weight too. However, they emphasize that further research is needed to see which specific types of vegetarian diets provide the biggest benefits for reducing blood pressure.
“Further studies are required to clarify which types of vegetarian diets are most strongly associated with lower BP,” say researchers. “Research into the implementation of such diets, either as public health initiatives aiming at prevention of hypertension or in clinical settings, would also be of great potential value.”
What You Should Do
If you want to lower your blood pressure, the easiest way may simply to eat vegetarian. That’s easier said than done, however–and transitioning to a meatless lifestyle isn’t simple. Nutritionists recommend easing into your vegetarian lifestyle by gradually cutting out meat from your diet.
Readers: Have you ever thought about going vegetarian before?
Sources:
Study: Vegetarian Diet Helps Reduce Blood Pressure Better Than a Meat-Based Diet – ScienceDaily.com
Vegetarian Diets Proven to Reduce Blood Pressure – JAMANetwork.com
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