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The consumption of fruits and vegetables has become important for people’s Health, as it prevents the risk of cardiovascular diseases and improves kidney health. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consumption of at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables each dayor five 80 gram servings. The amount depends on various factors including age, sex and level of physical activity.
An investigation led by Dr. Donald Wesson and professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin School of Medicine, and published in American Journal of Medicine evaluated the role of low-acid diets in protection against renal and cardiovascular disorders in patients with primary hypertension.
During the study they discovered that people whose diet has a large contribution of fruits and vegetables significantly improve kidney and heart health in patients with hypertension. “Patients with high blood pressure have two big problems: heart and kidney diseases. The study sought to test whether or not reducing the amount of acid in our diet reduces complications related to kidney and heart disease from high blood pressure,” Wesson explained.
The scientists carried out a randomized control trial involving 153 people who suffered from hypertension and were at high risk of chronic kidney disease. The people were divided into three groups: the first that added two to four cups of fruits and vegetables to their diet, another that took daily doses of baking soda and the third that continued with standard medical treatment.
After five years of follow-up, the result showed that Those individuals who consumed fruits and ingested baking soda experienced benefits for their kidney health. In addition, the group that included fruits and vegetables in their diet showed a decrease in blood pressure and improved risk indicators for cardiovascular diseases.
“It is important to highlight that fruits and vegetables achieved the last two benefits with lower doses of medications used to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases,” commented Maninder Kahlon, one of the co-authors of the study. For scientists, the diet that these people had was key, since thanks to a balanced diet, some diseases can be prevented.
“This means that one can get kidney health benefits from fruits and vegetablessuch as reducing blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease, but not with baking soda,” Kahlon explained. The researchers concluded that The intake of vegetables and fruits should be the basic treatment for patients with hypertension.
“Dietary interventions for the management of chronic diseases often are not recommended and run less frequently due to the many challenges in getting patients to implement them. However, they are effective and, in this case, protect the kidneys and the cardiovascular system,” the experts stated.
*By Wendys Loraine Pitre Ariza
Weather (Colombia)