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Fruits, Vegetables Lower Blood Pressure

In case you still have doubts about eating fruits and vegetables to keep blood pressure under control, here.s more evidence that it works. Researchers at the University of Minnesota followed 4,304 men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 for 15 years to assess the impact of their diets on their blood pressure. They found that the more plant foods (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes) and the less red meat participants consumed, the less likely they were to develop high blood pressure. These findings, published in the December 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, mirrored results from earlier studies showing that diets rich in fruits and vegetables, low in total fats, and containing low-fat dairy foods can reduce blood pressure, especially among patients with hypertension. In the new study, the impact of dairy food consumption on the risk of high blood pressure was inconclusive. Other studies have also shown the benefit of combining regular exercise with a dietary strategy to control blood pressure.