Dietary macronutrients and blood pressure in southwestern China

Objectives: To study the relationship between dietary macronutrients and blood pressure. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Liangshan, southwestern China. Participants: Three hundred and twelve Yi farmers living in a remote mountainous area, and 264 Yi migrants and 251 Han people living in an urban setting. Main outcome measurements: Blood pressure and dietary nutrient intake, obtained by asking the subjects to recall their nutrient consumption during the previous 24 h, were measured on three consecutive days. Results: After adjusting for age, body mass index, alcohol use, urinary excretion of sodium, total energy intake and area of residence and after correcting for the effects of regression dilution bias, a 1 SD higher intake of dietary total protein (39 g) was associated with lower systolic (-3.55 mmHg), and diastolic (-2.16 mmHg) blood pressures. Likewise, a 1 SD higher fiber intake (10 g) was significantly associated both with a lower systolic (-2.20 mmHg) and with a lower diastolic (-2.08 mmHg) blood pressure. Conclusion: Diets higher in protein and fiber content are associated with a lower blood pressure in the present population sample. The present results indicate that dietary intake of macronutrients might be important in the development and prevention of high blood pressure.