Varied sources of dietary protein tied to lower risk for new-onset hypertension
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Among Chinese adults, more varied sources of dietary protein were associated with lower risk for new-onset hypertension, according to research published in Hypertension.
“Nutrition may be an easily accessible and effective measure to fight against hypertension. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is one of the three basic macronutrients,” Xianhui Qin, MD, of the National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, said in a press release. “The heart health message is that consuming a balanced diet with proteins from various different sources, rather than focusing on a single source of dietary protein, may help to prevent the development of high blood pressure.”
To better understand the relationship between risk for high BP and protein intake from eight major food sources, researchers assessed 12,177 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey who completed three consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls plus a household food inventory (mean age, 41 years; 47% men).
Protein variety score was defined as the number of protein sources consumed at the appropriate level, accounting for types and quantity of proteins, according to the study. New-onset hypertension was defined as BP of 140/90 mm Hg or more, physician-diagnosed hypertension or initiation of antihypertensive treatment during the median follow-up of 6.1 years.
Protein intake and new-onset hypertension risk
Researchers observed that individuals with higher total dietary protein intake were more likely to be men, to be alcohol drinkers, to be urban residents, to be unemployed, to have elevated systolic BP, to have elevated diastolic BP, to have elevated BMI, to have increased education levels, to have elevated potassium intake, to have lower carbohydrate intake and to have lower levels of physical activity compared with participants with lower total protein intake (P for all < .001).
During follow-up, 35.1% of participants were identified with new-onset hypertension.
Researchers observed a U-shaped relationship between the proportion of energy from dietary protein intake and risk for new-onset hypertension (P for nonlinearity < .001).
Accordingly, participants in the first quintile (< 10.6%) of total energy from protein intake (adjusted HR = 1.3; 95% Cl, 1.2-1.41) and the fifth quintile (> 14%; aHR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15-1.38) experienced greater risk for new-onset hypertension compared with participants in the second and fourth quintiles (10.6% to 14% of energy from protein).
Researchers observed that individuals in the fourth quartile of protein variety score ( 4) experienced lower risk for new-onset hypertension compared with those in the first quartile (< 2; HR = 0.34; 95% Cl, 0.31-0.38).
Protein source-specific findings
Regarding specific sources of protein, risk for new-onset hypertension was lowest between:
- 0.5% to 3.1% of total energy from unprocessed red meat protein;
- 0% to 0.8% of total energy for processed red meat protein;
- 0% to 1.3% of total energy from poultry protein;
- 0% to 0.8% of total energy from whole grain protein;
- 0% to 1.4% of total energy from fish protein;
- 0% or more of total energy from egg protein;
- 0.3% or more of total energy from legume protein; and
- more than 3.8% of total energy from refined grain protein.
“Our findings suggested that there was an inverse association between the variety of proteins with appropriate quantity from different food sources (whole and refined grain, processed and unprocessed red meat, poultry, fish, egg and legumes) and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults,” the researchers wrote. “If further confirmed, these findings encourage the consumption of a balanced diet and emphasized the particularly important role of moderate quantity of proteins from diverse food sources for the primary prevention of hypertension.”
Reference:
- Eating protein from a greater variety of sources may lower risk of high blood pressure. newsroom.heart.org/news/eating-protein-from-a-greater-variety-of-sources-may-lower-risk-of-high-blood-pressure. Published March 10, 2022. Accessed March 10, 2022.
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