A new study has found that eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and protect both the heart and kidneys in people with high blood pressure.
The research was published in The American Journal of Medicine and highlights the importance of using diet—not just medicine—as part of treatment.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is one of the biggest causes of heart disease and kidney failure. This is especially true for people who already have kidney problems.
Even though doctors use medications to treat high blood pressure, many people still develop serious heart and kidney issues. In fact, for people with chronic kidney disease, heart disease is the leading cause of death.
One diet that has proven helpful is the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This eating plan focuses on eating lots of fruits and vegetables. It’s been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. But doctors don’t always recommend it, and some patients have a hard time sticking to it.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can help in many ways. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and are known to help the body stay in balance. They are also linked to better kidney function and a lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Dr. Donald E. Wesson from The University of Texas at Austin led this new study. He’s a kidney doctor and has done a lot of research on how the kidneys remove acid from the blood.
According to him, eating too many acid-producing foods, like meats and processed foods, can damage the kidneys. But eating fruits and vegetables, which help reduce acid in the body, can protect kidney health. Other studies have also shown that these foods are good for the heart.
To test this idea, Dr. Wesson and his team conducted a five-year study with 153 people who had both high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. The participants were divided into three groups.
One group was told to eat two to four cups of fruits and vegetables every day. Another group took baking soda tablets, which also help reduce acid in the body. The third group received normal medical care.
The results were clear. Both the fruits and vegetables group and the baking soda group showed better kidney health. But only the group that ate more fruits and vegetables had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease. They also needed less medication to control their blood pressure.
Dr. Maninder Kahlon, another researcher on the team, explained that while both the baking soda and the fruits and vegetables helped the kidneys, only the fruits and vegetables gave the added bonus of helping the heart.
That’s why the researchers believe doctors should tell patients to start with diet changes—like adding more fruits and vegetables—before jumping straight to medications.
Dr. Wesson said that it can be hard for people to make big changes in what they eat. But he believes it’s worth it. Simple changes like eating more fruits and vegetables can really help people stay healthier longer. He also wants doctors to make it easier for patients to eat better and to talk more about healthy diets during visits.
The study also recommends that people with high blood pressure ask their doctor to test their urine for something called the albumin-to-creatinine ratio. This test can show if the kidneys are damaged and if the person has a higher risk for heart disease.
This study reminds us that small changes, like eating more fruits and vegetables, can have a big impact. They not only help control blood pressure but also protect the heart and kidneys—often better than medicine alone.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about a new cause of heart rhythm disorders and eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables daily can reduce heart disease risk.
For more about heart health, please read studies about blood thinners that may not prevent stroke in people with heartbeat problems and this diabetes drug may protect heart health in older veterans.
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