Does a high P/S ratio diet lower blood pressure?
The answer to the question the title of this paper puts is: No a P/S ratio diet alone does not lower blood pressure! Although a number of cross-sectional and other studies do suggest that there is a relationship between P/S ratio and blood pressure it is not possible in these studies to eliminate the potentially confounding effects of other aspects of diet and lifestyle which are also either different or affected by the experiment. Most of the evidence from properly controlled randomised experimental studies do not provide support for an effect of an elevation of the dietary P/S ratio alone on blood pressure. These experiments have been conducted at various levels of total fat intake, across a range of blood pressures (but not very high blood pressures) and for both a short or longer duration. The levels of polyunsaturated fats have also varied from modest increases to quite substantial increases. It is therefore unlikely that aspects of sample selection, range of dietary change or length of observation can account for the failure of these studies to show an effect on blood pressure. From other observational and experimental studies it is apparent that dietary change can affect blood pressure. It may be that combinations of dietary factors need to occur in synchrony to affect blood pressure. It is therefore possible that a high P/S ratio diet in combination with for example potassium, calcium or magnesium or other dietary factors may influence blood pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Margetts
B M
BM
MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, U.K.
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005224:Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005224:Fats, Unsaturated