Whole-Grain Foods As Effective As Medication For High Blood Pressure

[J.R.E.]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/211244.php


Whole-Grain Foods As Effective As Medication For High Blood Pressure

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Hypertension;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Public Health
Article Date: 12 Dec 2010 - 9:00 PST






If you suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), you may find that a diet high in whole-grains, such as oats or wholemeal bread, is as effective as taking anti-hypertensive medications, Scottish scientists reveal in an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Controlling your blood pressure considerably reduces your risk of developing several diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, aneurysm, and renal failure.

The authors explain that we should seriously consider ways of including whole-grain wheat and oat-based recipes in our Christmas holiday meals.

The researchers, from The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, wanted to test the theory in "a well-designed clinical intervention trial" which points to growing evidence of the benefits of whole-grain foods when looking at the diets and health of various populations worldwide.

This latest study, which included over 200 volunteers, demonstrated that if you ingest three portions of whole-grain foods per day, your risk of high blood pressure is considerably reduced, which in turn lowers your chances of developing diseases linked to hypertension.

Some of the study-participants were given three servings of whole-grain foods each day, in the form of wheat, or both wheat with oats, while the rest received refined cereals and white bread (made of refined flour).

In both the whole-grain and refined-grain groups, the participants were encouraged to eat what they normally ate apart from consuming their apportioned servings.

Study leader, Dr Frank Thies, said:

      "We observed a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 5-6 mm Hg in the volunteers who ate the whole-grain foods, and this effect is similar to that you might expect to get from using blood pressure-lowering drugs.

      This drop in systolic blood pressure could potentially decrease the incidence of heart attack and stroke disease by at least 15 and 25% respectively.

      It's also good news for the food industry and especially for Scottish food producers."

The study was funded by the Scottish Government and the UK Food Standards Agency.

[odyssey]

It seems this study did not indicate that whole grains were used for the treatment of people with high blood pressure, but rather for the prophylaxis of blood pressure conditions. That seems to be a big difference. When they actually prove whole grains can treat people with already existing high blood pressure as effectively as drugs can, then I'll be impressed!

odyssey

[J.R.E.]

Interesting questions and answers:


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grain-foods/AN02075


Ray

[odyssey]

Now that link contained absolutely no research to back up the statement that eating whole grains might help lower one's blood pressure if it was already high. It was pure speculation. I stand by my original statement.

[J.R.E.]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100405854.html


THIS STUDY involved 206 healthy but overweight adults, most in their early 50s, who had been eating a "refined diet" (including refined, or processed, cereals and white bread). They were randomly assigned to continue the refined diet or to replace three servings of refined foods with three servings of whole-wheat foods, or to substitute with one serving of whole-wheat foods and two servings of oats daily. After three months, systolic blood pressure (the first, or top, number) had fallen five to six points (measured as millimeters of mercury, mmHg) for those eating whole-grain foods, compared with about a one-point drop for the others.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Adults who are concerned about their blood pressure and who eat foods containing grains. High blood pressure can contribute to heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and more. In refined foodstuffs, such as white rice and white flour, the bran and germ have been removed in the milling process. The entire kernel is used in whole-grain products, making them a better source of fiber and other nutrients. The study authors suggested that lowering blood pressure by eating three servings of whole-grain foods daily could reduce the risk of coronary artery disease by at least 15 percent and stroke by 25 percent or more.

CAVEATS The study data did not include precise measurements of participants' intake of sodium and potassium, which could affect blood pressure. The mechanism by which whole grains may contribute to blood pressure decline was not determined.

FIND THIS STUDY October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT high blood pressure at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health. Learn about the health benefits of whole-grain foods at www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource (click "what should you eat," then "whole grains" in the first nutrition tip).


The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.

[odyssey]

Yes, I read that the first time. However, the study was conducted in healthy adults, not adults with already existed hypertension (high blood pressure). So, although whole grains were able to slightly reduce blood pressure in healthy adults in this SINGLE study, there is NO evidence eating whole grains will do the same thing, or replace medication in people with hypertension. Thus my original comment.

[Matt39]

Yes, there is a big difference between *maintaining* healthy BP and reducing elevated levels, and whole grains have absolutely no way of reducing high BP.

Non-drug options for reducing high BP cannot be restricted to one or even two things.

For example, in someone who *already* does at least 30-45 minutes of light to moderate exercise at least 5 times a week , does not smoke, does not have a regular recreational drug habit, does not consume more than 2-3 units of alcohol more than 4-5 days a week, and has a healthy balanced whole food diet - and *still* has high BP (regularly at or over 140/80), then they need to consider stress reduction as that is the most likely cause.

Naturally, anyone who is sedantry and/or high alcohol intake, and/or regular recreational drug use, and/or has a diet low in whole foods and fruit and veg fibre and/or high in red and cured meats, needs to SMELL THE COFFEE and change that if that want a chance to reduce their BP.

Double-blind placebo controlled clinical studies have shown that Hibiscus leaf/flower/berry in tea infusion or tincture not only reduces BP, but reduces bad cholesterol and *cleans* arteries. One cup first thing in the morning and one in the afternoon is sufficient, and if taken as a tea infusion it needs steeping (brewing) for at least 15 minutes for the best effect.
Hawthorn tea similarly is also excellent for high BP and bad cholesterol reduction, and again 1-2 cups a day is sufficient when steeped (brewed) for at least 15 mins.

[odyssey]

Double-blind placebo controlled clinical studies have shown that Hibiscus leaf/flower/berry in tea infusion or tincture not only reduces BP, but reduces bad cholesterol and *cleans* arteries. One cup first thing in the morning and one in the afternoon is sufficient, and if taken as a tea infusion it needs steeping (brewing) for at least 15 minutes for the best effect.
Hawthorn tea similarly is also excellent for high BP and bad cholesterol reduction, and again 1-2 cups a day is sufficient when steeped (brewed) for at least 15 mins.

Would you mind providing links to these studies in full, not simply abstract or news articles about the results, but the entire published study from the original journal? Thanks!

odyssey

[Matt39]

http://www.nature.com/jhh/journal/v23/n1/full/jhh2008100a.html
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/2/298
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/583351
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wts2HHW1AdM

[Miss Philicia]

boggles the mind

[Hellraiser]

Ok so I changed my mind on this comment.

[odyssey]

http://www.nature.com/jhh/journal/v23/n1/full/jhh2008100a.html
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/2/298
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/583351
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wts2HHW1AdM

Regarding the first article you provided, this was not properly placebo controlled, so it is of little value. The researchers compared the special tea with black tea (which has caffeine in it, possibly account for the poor blood pressure results). A true placebo controlled study would involve the study tea vs. a beverage with no potential "therapeutic" ingredients that would still allow participants to believe they were consuming tea.

The second article has a few issues with it as well. First of all, the only measure which appears to be statistically significant is just barely so with p=0.030. A generous study will allow for p<0.05 but usually to recommend any sort of medical treatment researchers use a more strict p<0.01, which this study would fail to meet. The other two measures were not statistically significant.

Also, the second study was sponsored by Celestial Seasonings, a producer/distributor/seller of tea products that easily can be seen to have a stake in the results of such a study. This is a potential conflict of interest.

I was unable to view the third study and I won't even bother viewing something on YouTube because that doesn't even come close to being a reputable source. If I tried to cite YouTube in one of my classes my professor would not even take me seriously.

Hopefully my comments can help you view this articles critically and see the potential troubles with their methods.

odyssey

[Matt39]

Also, the second study was sponsored by Celestial Seasonings, a producer/distributor/seller of tea products that easily can be seen to have a stake in the results of such a study. This is a potential conflict of interest.

You mean like the sponsorship of most clinical drug trials by the for-profit drug makers?
You mean like the record of the pharma industry hiding negative data on drugs that subsequently caused deaths and disabilities until they were withdrawn?
You mean like the 70% of drug researchers in receipt of quite substantial funding from BigPharma?
And the drug researchers on fully-expenses  business or first class air travel paid trips in 5 star hotel suites to attend BigPharma funded 'seminars' in exotic locations where they have free time to spend on the beach, surfing, snorkelling or holidaying for greater periods than the 'seminars' themselves??
You mean like the HIV Doctors with clocks/pen sets that advertise for-profit drugs on their desks and walls?

OK

Best wishes

Matt

[Miss Philicia]

"nuh uh" would have been a better reply