1.
Effects of Vegetarian Diets on Blood Pressure Lowering: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis.
Lee, KW, Loh, HC, Ching, SM, Devaraj, NK, Hoo, FK
Nutrients. 2020;12(6)
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Plain language summary
High blood pressure or hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, and diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. It is an independent and major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney failure. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a vegetarian diet on the reduction of blood pressure. This study is a systematic review together with trial sequential analysis. A total of 15 studies involving 856 individuals met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final analyses. Results show that a vegetarian dietary pattern significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Furthermore, dietary patterns based solely on plant sources are more effective in reducing blood pressure than other types of vegetarian diet which still include animal products or by-products, such as eggs and dairy products. Authors conclude that vegetarian diets, especially vegan diets, reduce blood pressure when compared with omnivorous diets. Thus, suggesting that they may be crucial in the primary prevention and overall management of hypertension.
Abstract
The beneficial effects of a vegetarian diet on blood pressure (BP) control have been reported in previous systematic reviews; however, so far, their relative effectiveness is not well established. Here, we performed a systematic review together with trial sequential analysis to determine the effect of a vegetarian diet on the reduction of blood pressure. We searched the randomized controlled trial (RCT) through Medline, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register. Fifteen eligible RCTs with 856 subjects were entered into the analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that vegetarian diet consumption significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference (WMD), -2.66 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.76, -1.55, p < 0.001) and diastolic BP was WMD, -1.69 95% CI = -2.97, -0.41, p < 0.001) as compared to an omnivorous diet. In subgroup analysis, a vegan diet demonstrated a greater reduction in systolic BP (WMD, -3.12 mm Hg; 95% CI = -4.54, -1.70, p < 0.001) as compared with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (WMD, -1.75 mm Hg, 95% CI -5.38, 1.88, p = 0.05). The vegan diet has showed a similar trend in terms of diastolic blood pressure reduction (WMD, -1.92 mm Hg (95% CI = -3.18, -0.66, p < 0.001) but those with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet showed no changes in diastolic BP reduction (WMD, 0.00, 95% CI = 0.00, 0.00), p =0.432). In conclusion, vegetarian diets are associated with significant reductions in BP compared with omnivorous diets, suggesting that they may play a key role in the primary prevention and overall management of hypertension.
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Health Biomarkers in Adults Are More Closely Linked to Diet Quality Attributes Than to Plant-Based Diet Categorization.
Mayra, S, Ugarte, N, Johnston, CS
Nutrients. 2019;11(6)
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Plant-based diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are consistently linked to reduced risk for chronic disease, improved cognition, and longevity. The aim of the study was to examine the diet quality and blood metabolites of vegetarian and omnivore adults to determine adherence to plant-based diets compared to high-quality eating patterns. The study is a cross-sectional investigation. Thirty-three participants (17 vegetarians: 3 men/14 women; 16 omnivores: 3 men/13 women) aged between 18 and 65 years were enrolled for the study. Results indicate the health biomarkers did not differ between vegetarians and omnivores matched for gender, age, and adiposity. However, when participants were regrouped by low-quality versus high-quality diets, data suggests that several common health biomarkers are more closely aligned with diet quality attributes than with plant-based diet categorisation. Authors conclude that healthcare practitioners should emphasize diet quality in their messages to their clients and discuss the importance of eating whole, minimally processed foods with less added fat and sugars.
Abstract
Although plant-based diets are promoted for healthy outcomes, these diets are not synonymous with high-quality diets. Plant-based diets can include highly processed, less healthful foods, including savory snacks, pastries, and sugary fruit drinks. This cross-sectional study examined the diet quality of vegetarian and omnivorous adults, matched for gender, age, and adiposity, and related diet quality to standard health biomarkers. Diet quality was assessed using the Rapid Eating and Activity Assessment for Participants Short Version questionnaire. Participants (17 vegetarians and 16 omnivores; 28.2 ± 8.9 years; 22.5 ± 2.7 kg/m2) were non-smokers and healthy by self-report. The median duration of adherence to the vegetarian diet was 27 months. Physical activity level and diet quality did not differ significantly between diet groups. Moreover, health biomarkers did not differ by diet groups. When participants were regrouped by low versus high diet quality, health biomarkers differed significantly between groups for fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, triglyceride (TG)/HDL ratio, and blood folate, with more favorable levels in the group with high diet quality. These data suggest that health biomarkers more closely align with diet quality attributes than with plant-based diet categorization. Thus, messaging focused on healthy diet attributes may lead to better health outcomes than the simple promotion of plant-based diets.