American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 41, 1155-1162, Copyright © 1985 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Dietary changes and their possible effect on blood pressure

RE Hodges and T Rebello

In this summary, the authors have attempted to examine reports of associations between various dietary habits and practices on one hand, and serum lipids or clinical disease on the other hand. There seems to be little doubt that both hypertension and ischemic heart disease have a nutritional background, but in all likelihood, there are other factors such as hereditary traits, occupational hazards, and perhaps personal habits including cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse and prolonged ingestion of medicinal drugs. One of the strongest correlates seems to be the role of complex carbohydrates in regulating blood lipid concentrations. Carbohydrates not only have an effect on the endocrine system that regulates blood volume, but they also influence absorption of fat soluble substances from the digestive tract and if natural fiber is included, it has an effect on fecal bulk, transit time of the fecal stream, and reabsorption of bile acids and neutral sterols. Epidemiologically, there is some evidence that the changes that occurred in the American diet in the years between 1914-1944 may well have played a permissive role in the genesis of a portion of the coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke that occurred in the United States. It is not too farfetched to suggest that had the American servicemen been given more cereal food products including bread and other baked food items, instead of excessive amounts of meat and fats, the dietary pattern of America might well have been substantially different. Furthermore, this difference could easily have influenced the pattern of atherosclerosis and hypertension. A great deal more work is needed to confirm or refute these suggestions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)