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A person's diet is directly tied in to that person's chances of developing hypertension. Previous studies have shown that diets that contain high amounts of fruits and vegetables and low amounts of fat can be effective in lowering blood pressure. However, there is little research regarding the consumption of low-fat dairy products and their effect on hypertension. A new study suggests that people who eat high amounts of low-fat dairy products are much less likely to develop high blood pressure than people who eat low amounts of those products.
In this study, more than 5,800 adults completed a series of food questionnaires, which tracked their intake of dairy products and other foods over 27 months. Participants also reported any incidence of being diagnosed with hypertension between the start of the study and their last questionnaire.
 Patients who consumed the highest levels of low-fat dairy products were 54 percent less likely to develop hypertension over the course of the study compared to people who consumed the lowest amount of dairy products. This effect remained in place even after the authors screened out other factors linked to high blood pressure, such as body weight, activity levels and smoking.
Low-fat dairy products include skim milk and reduced-fat milk, reduced-fat cheeses, and some types of yogurt. If you already consume large amounts of dairy products, consider switching to low-fat or non-fat alternatives. In addition, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about other ways to reduce your blood pressure. For more information, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition/other/index.html.
Alonso A, Buenza JJ, Delgado-Rodriguez M, et al. Low-fat dairy consumption and reduced risk of hypertension: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2005;82:872-879.
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