Strict adherence to vegetarian diets, in particular vegan diet, may help reduce and normalize high blood pressure.
This research work used a meta-analytic approach to study the impact vegetarian diets has on blood pressure. Researchers sifted through data derived from 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 856 participants.
Researchers discovered that followers of vegetarian diets, especially vegan diet, enjoyed significant reduction in their blood pressure and had healthier systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers than consumers of omnivorous diets. This study provides strong evidence that vegetarian diets may be beneficial for the prevention and management of hypertension.