A handful of nuts a day could cut your risk of developing high blood pressure by around 20%. Not a supplement. Not an expensive intervention. Nuts.
A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition analysed 8 prospective cohort studies involving 143,380 people and 20,665 cases of hypertension. People eating the most nuts had a 16% lower risk of developing hypertension compared with those eating the least.
But the dose-response analysis was even more interesting.
Eating 28g of nuts per day, roughly one handful, was associated with a 20% lower risk. At around 30 to 35g a day, the reduction reached 26%, then the curve began to flatten, suggesting you don’t need to eat mountains of almonds to see the association.
More than 1.4 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney failure, and is a major contributor to the global burden of disease.
So why might nuts help?
They’re rich in unsaturated fats, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and compounds including polyphenols and phytosterols. The researchers point to several possible mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function, L-arginine increasing nitric oxide production, fibre feeding gut bacteria that produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
This also isn’t happening in isolation.
Research cited in the paper has found lower blood pressure or hypertension risk in dietary patterns rich in plant foods, including plant-based diets, alongside diets containing plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. This was observational research, so the authors cannot simply prove that nuts caused the reduction. But after assessing the wider evidence using World Cancer Research Fund criteria, they rated the likelihood of causality as probable. Sometimes healthier eating really can be that uncomplicated.
A handful of nuts.
Every day.
I never met a nut I didn’t like! 👌😋