The probable reason behind this is the presence of glutamic acid in high volume in broccoli and cabbage.
For conducting the latest study, researchers scrutinized the quantity of five amino acids in the diets of 4,680 volunteers, ages between 40 to 59 years, from the U.S., UK, China and Japan.
It was discovered that with an increase in glutamic acid content in their food, their blood pressure dropped down.
Study author Dr Ian Brown, an epidemiologist at Imperial College, London, was quoted as saying, “Glutamic acid may partly explain the link between vegetable protein and lower blood pressure.”
He added, “However there is no ‘magic bullet’ for preventing high blood pressure, and vegetable protein and glutamic acid are individual elements of a broader healthy eating pattern.”
Glutamic acid and its sources
Glutamic acid is one of the most widely found amino acids and forms nearly one-fourth of vegetable protein and one-fifth of the animal protein.
It is found in all types of meats, dairy products, poultry, fish and the seaweed kombu. Rice, soy products, breads, cereals and similar whole grain foods are other excellent sources of glutamic acid.
Researchers recommend that people should not pop up glutamic acid pills, instead they should eat foods containing this acid.
DASH recommended for blood pressure
Experts say that the ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)’ diet, which reduces blood pressure and is developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, should be followed.
The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean poultry, nuts and beans.
The new study has been published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Post new comment