A new study shows that eating more fruits and vegetables helps lower blood pressure, protect the kidneys and reduce cardiovascular risks.
- The study shows that fruit and vegetable consumption along with sodium bicarbonate improve kidney health.
- In contrast, only fruits and vegetables reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Researchers believe that fruits and vegetables should be a “foundational” treatment for patients with high blood pressure.
Treating high blood pressure can put kidney health at risk. To counteract this side effect, as well as lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risks, you need to make fruits and vegetables the stars of your diet. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the journal The American Journal of Medicine, August 5, 2024.
Plant-rich diets reduce blood pressure and protect the kidneys
To determine the effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables—such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet or Mediterranean cuisine—on the kidneys, the researchers followed 153 patients with high blood pressure and high levels of albumin in their urine (a marker of kidney problems) for five years. They were divided into three groups. Participants in the first group were asked to add 2 to 4 cups of extra fruits and vegetables to their diet. In the second group, volunteers took sodium bicarbonate (formerly known as baking soda), a product known to reduce acid levels in the blood, a factor in kidney damage. The remaining patients received standard medical care for their disorders.
The results of the analyses conducted at the end of the five-year study show that eating fruits and vegetables as well as sodium bicarbonate improved kidney health. In contrast, only the plant-rich diet lowered blood pressure and reduced cardiovascular risks.
“It is important to note that fruits and vegetables achieved these last two benefits with lower doses of drugs used to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”adds co-author Dr. Maninder Kahlon of Dell Medical School – The University of Texas at Austin, in a press release.
Fruits and vegetables are “fundamental” for heart and kidney health
These results support the researchers’ recommendation that “Fruits and vegetables should be a ‘fundamental’ treatment for patients with hypertension”. They note that this instruction helps achieve three goals: improved kidney health, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. And this, with lower doses of medication.
They lament that many doctors begin treatment of hypertension with medications and then add nutritional strategies if blood pressure is not properly controlled.
“Dietary interventions for chronic disease management are often not recommended and even less often implemented because of the many challenges in getting patients to implement them. Nevertheless, they are effective and, in this case, they protect the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. We need to intensify our efforts to integrate them into patient care and, more broadly, to make healthy eating more accessible to populations at increased risk of kidney and cardiovascular disease.”concludes the study’s lead author, Dr. Donald E. Wesson of Dell Medical School – The University of Texas at Austin.
