Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure

ScienceDaily (Jan. 15, 2011) — Eating blueberries can guard against high blood pressure, according to new research by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Harvard University.

High blood pressure -- or hypertension -- is one of the major cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It leads to stroke and heart disease and costs more than $300 billion each year. Around a quarter of the adult population is affected globally -- including 10 million people in the UK and one in three US adults.

Published next month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the new findings show that bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins offer protection against hypertension. Compared with those who do not eat blueberries, those eating at least one serving a week reduce their risk of developing the condition by 10 per cent.

Anthocyanins belong to the bioactive family of compounds called flavonoids and are found in high amounts in blackcurrants, raspberries, aubergines, blood orange juice and blueberries. Other flavonoids are found in many fruits, vegetables, grains and herbs. The flavonoids present in tea, fruit juice, red wine and dark chocolate are already known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

This is the first large study to investigate the effect of different flavonoids on hypertension.

The team of UEA and Harvard scientists studied 134,000 women and 47,000 men from the Harvard established cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study over a period of 14 years. None of the participants had hypertension at the start of the study. Subjects were asked to complete health questionnaires every two years and their dietary intake was assessed every four years. Incidence of newly diagnosed hypertension during the 14-year period was then related to consumption of various different flavonoids.

During the study, 35,000 participants developed hypertension. Dietary information identified tea as the main contributor of flavonoids, with apples, orange juice, blueberries, red wine, and strawberries also providing important amounts. When the researchers looked at the relation between individual subclasses of flavonoids and hypertension, they found that participants consuming the highest amounts of anthocyanins (found mainly in blueberries and strawberries in this US-based population) were eight per cent less likely to be diagnosed with hypertension than those consuming the lowest amounts. The effect was even stronger in participants under 60.

The effect was stronger for blueberry rather than strawberry consumption. Compared to people who ate no blueberries, those eating at least one serving of blueberries per week were 10 per cent less likely to become hypertensive.

"Our findings are exciting and suggest that an achievable dietary intake of anthocyanins may contribute to the prevention of hypertension," said lead author Prof Aedin Cassidy of the Department of Nutrition at UEA's Medical School.

"Anthocyanins are readily incorporated into the diet as they are present in many commonly consumed foods. Blueberries were the richest source in this particular study as they are frequently consumed in the US. Other rich sources of anthocyanins in the UK include blackcurrants, blood oranges, aubergines and raspberries."

The next stage of the research will be to conduct randomised controlled trials with different dietary sources of anthocyanins to define the optimal dose and sources for hypertension prevention. This will enable the development of targeted public health recommendations on how to reduce blood pressure.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of East Anglia.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Consumption of 'good salt' can reduce population blood pressure levels, research finds

ScienceDaily (Sep. 15, 2010) — An increased intake of 'good' potassium salts could contribute significantly to improving blood pressure at the population level, according to new research. The favourable effect brought about by potassium is even estimated to be comparable with the blood pressure reduction achievable by halving the intake of 'bad' sodium salts (mostly from table salt).

Those are the conclusions drawn by Linda van Mierlo and her colleagues at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR, and Unilever in their investigation of the consumption of potassium in 21 countries. An article describing their findings appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases rises as blood pressure increases. In Western countries only 20-30% of the population has 'optimal' blood pressure, with the systolic (maximum) pressure being lower than 120 mm Hg and the diastolic (minimum) pressure lower than 80 mm Hg. Blood pressure increases with age in most people. Men more often have a higher blood pressure than women.

Diet and lifestyle plays an important role in managing blood pressure. High intakes of sodium and low intakes of potassium have unfavorable effects on blood pressure. Therefore, reducing the consumption of sodium and increasing the consumption of potassium are both good ways to improve blood pressure.

The study carried out by food researchers from the Human Nutrition department at Wageningen University and from the Nutrition & Health department at Unilever demonstrates that the average potassium intake in 21 countries including the US, China, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands varies between 1.7 and 3.7 g a day. This is considerably lower than the 4.7 g a day, which has been recommended based on the positive health effects observed at this level of intake.

A hypothetical increase in the potassium intake to the recommended level would reduce the systolic blood pressure in the populations of these countries by between 1.7 and 3.2 mm Hg. This corresponds with the reduction that would occur if Western consumers were to take in 4 g of salt less per day. The intakes of both potassium and sodium are therefore of importance in preventing high blood pressure.

Earlier studies have shown that salt reduction of 3 g per day in food could reduce blood pressure and prevent 2500 deaths per year due to cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands. In Western countries, salt consumption can be as high as 9-12 g a day whereas 5 g is the recommended amount according to WHO standards. Most household salt is to be found in processed foods such as bread, ready-made meals, soups, sauces and savoury snacks and pizzas. An effective way of increasing potassium intake is to follow the guidelines for healthy nutrition more closely, including a higher consumption of vegetables and fruit. In addition, the use of mineral salts in processed foods -- by which sodium is partly replaced by potassium -- would contribute to an improved intake of both sodium and potassium.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Wageningen University and Research Centre, via AlphaGalileo.

Journal Reference:

Linda A. J. van Mierlo; Arno Greyling; Peter L. Zock; Frans J. Kok; Johanna M. Geleijnse. Suboptimal Potassium Intake and Potential Impact on Population Blood Pressure. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2010; 170 (16): 1501-1502 DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.284

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Ways to Reduce High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure simply means that you arteries carry blood from your heart to you whole body. On the other hand, high-blood pressure or what is call hypertension happens when blood travels through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal. This can cause deleterious effects to our health. People with high- blood pressure tend to experience heart attacks, strokes or worse, death.

Prevention is better than cure. If you are not suffering from high blood pressure then do not wait until you do. If you already are suffering from it then do not wait until you no longer can. There are things that we can do to reduce or prevent high blood.

Stop Smoking Before it is Too Late

The nicotine that is in cigarettes and other tobacco products causes a lot of damage to our body. It damages our lungs, it makes our skin dry, and it also makes us look older! Not only that, it can also affect your heart by increasing your blood pressure. This is because nicotine causes your blood vessels to constrict and thus makes your heart beat faster than normal. This temporarily raises your blood pressure. If you want to live longer and happier, you should quit smoking or using other tobacco products right now. By doing so, you significantly lower your risk of heart disease and heart attack. More importantly, it will lower your b.p. What about losing weight and exercising?

Obesity is also considered causing high-blood pressure. If you notice, most of those who suffer heart attacks are usually overweight. If you are overweight, losing some of it will lower your blood pressure. We know that losing weight is possible yet not that easy. Make sure that you are eating healthy and in proper proportion. Aside from changing your diet, you should also spend some time for exercise. You do not actually have to go to the gym or lift weights because you can burn the extra calories by doing household chores or just by simply walking the extra mile. Park your car a block away from you office or use the stairs. The only way to safely lose weight is to lose it through exercise and proper diet Lessen Your Sodium Intake

This is not true for everyone, but sodium can increase blood pressure in some cases. Ideally, we should limit our sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. However it is better if we can limit it more or not taking any form of it at all. There is a lot of sodium free foods in the market. Just make sure that you read the nutritional value printed on the package. Sure that you include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish in your diet. These would surely improve overall health and at the same time make you reduce sodium intake. One way to avoid sodium is to not add salt to your food. Also be aware that there are some medicines or supplements that contain sodium. So be aware.

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Reduce High Blood Pressure Risk With These Berries

Delicious news! A new study finds that eating a cup of strawberries or blueberries a week can reduce high blood pressure risk, which is a key factor for both heart disease.

The work, intent on investigating the role regular intake of dietary flavonoids might have on the risk of high blood pressure, included over 130,000 women and 23,000 men.

The subjects supplied information about their diet by food frequency questionnaires. Besides tasting naturally sweet and delicious, berries like strawberries and blueberries are low in fat, carbs and calories, but have loads of fiber, vitamins, minerals and those powerhouse antioxidants we've all heard so much about. Anthocyanins are only one such nutrient, but there are others.

Over the 14-year period the participants were followed, the team found that 29,000 women and 5,600 men developed hypertension. But those with the highest levels of anthocyanins (a key part of both blueberries and strawberries) had an 8% lower risk for hypertension compared to those who comsumed the least amounts of these nutrient rich fruits.

Anthocyanin is a rather impressive antioxidant that gives these two delicious berries their incredible color. But it might also open blood vessels, helping blood flow more smoothly and lowers the chance for high blood pressure.

The finding even held after experts controlled for other things we know are high blood pressure risk factors. Family history, weight, how active a patient might be, and other dietary factors all play a part.

The risk reduction was most obvious in those who were under 60 years old. Why?

The research team speculates that the damage done over the years is too much for flavonoids to make much difference to blood vessel function in older people. The team points out that this suggests how important it is to eat well before middle age, so you give your body a chance to get the good for you benefits, while they still are beneficial.

Estimates from the American Heart Association have one in three adults in the U.S. being affected by high blood pressure. Another 2 million teens and children are also affected. The causes of 90-95% of high blood pressures aren't known... even though a doctor can measure your blood pressure quickly and easily in the office. Seems strange that such a potentially dangerous thing could be uncovered with such a simple, pain free test.

Research purists will point out that this new work did have some limitations. No one measured food consumed or took blood pressure levels; these measures were self reported by the study participants. This doesn't allow for the type of control that researchers like to have in experiments. The next steps will be to test doses of anthocyanins rich foods to judge the prevention of high blood pressure... to set guidelines.

In the meantime, if you're at risk and want to reduce high blood pressure risk, do something to help yourself. Prevention is the best treatment, and this comes from a healthy lifestyle... eating a nutritious diet (lots of berries/veggies, no processed foods) and not smoking. Keep those cholesterol numbers under control and do all you can to keep them that way.

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Can Chocolate Binges Help Reduce Your Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious disease in the U.S. and in the world. It is so serious that every day millions of people take prescribed medications in an effort to lower their blood pressure to normal range. But what if the simplest of all medicines was dark chocolate? Can dark chocolate really reduce blood pressure?

According to a recently completed German study, the answer is yes. Dr Dirk Taubert, a researcher at the University Hospital of Cologne divided 44 adult men and women with stage 1 hypertension and ranging in age from 56 to 73 years into two groups. One group was given just over 6 grams of dark chocolate a day, each containing 30 mg of polyphenols. Each day the second group received an equal amount of white chocolate, without polyphenols. The study lasted 18 weeks.

At the study's end, it was found that the systolic blood pressure of those participants who ate the dark had dropped an average of three points. Diastolic pressure was reduced by 2 points. In addition, those who ate the dark experience no weight gain. According to Dr. Taubert, the study showed that "Regular intake of small amounts of the dark can help to lower pressure."

Although prior studies have linked foods that are rich in cocoa to lower incidences of heart disease and heart attacks, this study specifically focused on the effects of cocoa on blood pressure. It would appear the the magic ingredient in the chocolate is polyphenols. The higher the percentage of polyphenols in the dark chocolate, the more the LDL (i.e., "bad cholesterol") in the bloodstream was reduced. At the same time the amount of HDL (i.e., "good cholesterol") in the bloodstream increased.

As the news of this study gravitates to the general public, there are bound to be a number of important questions and concerns regarding the intake of dark chocolate. Here are answers to a few:

What is a polyphenol? Polyphenols are a group of chemical substances found in plants. Polyphenols are loaded with antioxidants and flavonoids which have been shown to be very helpful in enhancing the immune system.

Will dark chocolate be covered by insurance? At the present time, no. However, if universal health care passes, there is a possibility that it could be covered. Write your congressman or woman.

Will I require a prescription to buy dark chocolate? Initially no. But as the major drug companies invade the chocolate industry there are sure to be patented chocolate medicines that will require a prescription. Talk to your doctor for the latest info.

Can I overdose on dark chocolate? Yes you can, if you consume a great deal of chocolate in a short amount of time. To best protect yourself, try to only eat dark chocolate that has no alcohol and no sugar.

The important thing is not to go overboard on chocolate binges. If you have elevated blood pressure and decide to add dark chocolate to your diet, talk to your doctor and inform him of your decision so he can help you to make the right dietary decision.

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