A recently published study in the Journal of the American Heart Association provided data that a 4.72% higher dietary intake of glutamic acid (as a percent of total dietary protein), reduced the systolic blood pressure by 1.5-3 mm and diastolic pressure by 1.0 to 1.6 mm of mercury.
Lead author of this study Dr Jeremiah Stamler, MD, Professor, emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill, states "It is estimated that reducing a population's average systolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg could cut stroke death rates by 6 percent and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease by 4 percent".
The American Heart Association estimates that a 6% decrease in stroke deaths in 2009 would be equal to saving 8,600 people, and a 4% decrease in heart disease deaths would save 17,800 lives per year.
This was the resulting data from The International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP) conducted on 4,680 people (ages 40-59) in 17 urban and rural populations in China, Japan, UK and USA
Trends indicate increasing hypertension levels in even younger populations:High blood pressure or hypertension is a `silent killer', responsible for heart diseases and strokes in a large number of individuals. The age at which individuals develop hypertension is fast decreasing. This is separate from typical increases with age. Most physicians recommend dietary and lifestyle modifications before prescribing drugs to patients with moderately elevated blood pressure levels. A diet with restricted intake of sodium, total fats, saturated fats and cholesterol and rich in fish, whole grain cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables is prescribed.
The beneficial effect of fruits and vegetables was thought to be as a result of increased supply of fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and phytonutrients.
About Glutamic Acid:Glutamic acid is an amino acid (building blocks of proteins), which comprises 23% of the total proteins in vegetables and one fifth in animal protein.
Foods high in Glutamic acid:Beans, broccoli, parsley, spinach, soy, whole grains, rice, bread and durum wheat.
There is at present no information on what effect glutamic acid supplementation may have on hypertension. Till then, the results of this study reassert the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables are beneficial in reducing blood pressure.
By Poonam Vaswani,
Dietitian, www.NutritionVista.com
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