“Our research suggests that increased intake of potassium-rich foods, like bananas or broccoli, may have a stronger positive effect on blood pressure than merely reducing salt intake,” said Anita Layton from the University of Waterloo.
The banana, often grouped with the tomato as one of the most consumed fruits in the world, is popular as a filling energy snack and a natural hangover remedy due to its high potassium content — which also makes it recommended for people with hypertension.
“Prehistoric people ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, so it’s possible that our body’s regulatory systems evolved to function best on a diet rich in potassium and low in sodium,” said Melissa Stagg, lead author of the study published in the American Journal of Renal and General Physiology.
“The modern Western diet contains much more sodium and less potassium. This may explain why high blood pressure is more common in industrialized societies and rarer in isolated communities,” Stagg added.
The growing consumption of salty, processed foods contributes to the rise of so-called lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, as more and more people lead sedentary lifestyles with less physical activity.
Since high blood pressure affects around 30 percent of adults worldwide, there has also been an increase in strokes and kidney diseases.
“In recent years, the global prevalence of hypertension has increased,” researchers warn, citing causes such as the aging of the world population and increased exposure to risk factors, including reduced physical activity and the popularity of the Western diet.
Source: n1info.rs
