HEALTH & WELLNESS: Study Says BMI to Blame For Hypertension, Not Sodium

FORMULATING FOODS

Formulating Foods explores the latest health and nutrition news and research—as well as the latest ingredient and food application innovations—to determine what consumers want (and need) from the food and beverage products they consume, and how industry can make it happen. 

Study Says BMI to Blame For Hypertension, Not Sodium

Rachel Adams

September 10, 2014 - Blog

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High blood pressure—also known as hypertension—is the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide, and a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While high-sodium diets have long been linked to increased blood pressure, a new study suggests body mass index (BMI) may be the main contributing factor of blood pressure levels.

The study looked at data from 8,670 participants from the NutriNet-Santé Study, an ongoing French web-based cohort study. Dietary intakes were assessed using three 24-hour records, while a questionnaire determined lifestyle factors. In addition to the web study, blood pressure measurements were collected and participants underwent a clinical examination.

The dietary questionnaires looked at alcohol consumption, mineral intake—including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus—and total energy intake. Demographic, health and lifestyle data were collected at baseline and yearly thereafter using web-based questionnaires.

Age-adjusted associations and then multivariate associations between systolic BP (SBP) and lifestyle behaviors were estimated using multiple linear regressions.

Of the 8,670 volunteers, 84 (4 percent) men and 229 (3.5 percent) women reported being hypertensive (without hypertensive drug use). Regarding blood presssure measurements, 586 (28.2 percent) men and 775 (11.8 percent) women were hypertensive. Globally, salt consumption was higher in hypertensive participants compared with those who were nonhypertensive. Hypertensive participants displayed higher BMI than those who were not and they were more active.

Ultimately, there were a variety of factors that impacted blood pressure levels, including fruit and vegetable intake—which positively impacted blood pressure—and BMI. However, the study authors concluded, “BMI was the main contributory modifiable factor of BP level after multiple adjustments."

The relationship between BMI and SBP level was strong in both sexes where SBP was higher in participants with elevated BMIs. Salt intake was positively associated with SBP in men but not in women (results were similar using sodium intake from foods). Further, adjustments of total energy intake (without alcohol) did not modify the results. The negative relationship between consumption of fruits and vegetables was significant in both sexes. SBP increased significantly with the dietary sodium–potassium ratio in both sexes. Alcohol consumption was positively associated with SBP in both sexes.

Of course, these findings don’t take sodium off the radar. FDA recently confirmed its plans to release voluntary guidelines to reduce sodium levels in processed foods and restaurant foods nationwide.

Salt is the greatest contributor of sodium in the diet, and is responsible for 90 percent of the sodium consumed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reducing salt content in food and beverage products can go a long way in sodium-reduction efforts. However, salt contributes both flavor and functionality in a range of applications, and is not easily replaced. Fortunately, Food Product Design dove into the topic in its recent Digital Pulse, The Salt of the Matter: Trends in Sodium Reduction.

HEALTH ALERT: Study Unveils How Mediterranean Diet Protects from Hypertension

Study Unveils How Mediterranean Diet Protects from Hypertension

Rachel Adams

May 20, 2014 - Blogs

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Move over apple—a salad a day may be the new key to a healthy heart. New research shows a diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, such as olive oil and lettuce, can keep hypertension at bay. The research helps explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure.

The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach, celery and carrots that are rich in nitrites and nitrates. When these two food groups are combined, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with nitrogen compounds in the vegetables results in the formation of nitro fatty acids.

Researchers at King’s College London used mice to investigate the process by which these nitro fatty acids lower blood pressure, looking at whether they inhibited an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase, which regulates blood pressure.

Mice genetically engineered to be resistant to this inhibitory process were found to maintain their high blood pressure despite being fed the type of nitro fatty acids that normally form when a Mediterranean diet is consumed. However, nitro fatty acids were found to lower the blood pressure of normal mice following the same diets.
Thus, the study concludes that the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet, combining unsaturated fats and vegetables abundant in nitrite and nitrate, comes at least in part from the nitro fatty acids generated which inhibit soluble epoxide hydrolase to lower blood pressure.

The study was published in the journal PNAS.

Luckily, many consumers are aware of the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) 2014 Food & Health Survey, 83 percent of Americans have made an effort in the past year to consume more fruits and vegetables. And the survey showed two out of five Americans were able to identify nuts, avocados, olive oil, salmon and canola oil as foods containing high amounts of unsaturated fats.

Especially beneficial to heart health are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)—which have been shown to lower a blood fat called triglyceride. Food Product Design spoke on the topic with Bruce Holub, Ph.D., department of human health & nutritional sciences, University of Guelph. (View the complete video on Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox).

Holub cited American Heart Association recommendations of 1,000 mg per day of EPA/DHA, and 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day for those trying to lower triglycerides. However, he continued to note the average intake in America for EPA/DHA sits around 130 mg per day.

“How do we increase the intakes?" Holub asked. Simple—increase consumption of fish or functional foods that have DHA/EPA added to them.

As mentioned in Food Product Design’s Digital Issue, “Functional Foods," EPA and DHA are appearing in an array of products, including baked goods, bars, smoothies, beverages, yogurts, dressings, mixes and more.
Food product designers can formulate foods with omega-3 fatty acids using a number of methods, including encapsulation technologies and process technologies. The difference in methods is how various ingredient technologies protect lipids from oxidation and how they further prevent oxidation when incorporated in the food or beverage matrix. Choosing the appropriate method is crucial, as it will ensure finished-product quality. For a deeper look at designing foods with omega-3s, download the free Digital Issue here.

Sources:

• EurekAlert: Why you need olive oil on your salad