Treatment of Hypertensive Vascular Disease with Rice Diet

The treatment of hypertensive vascular disease with the rice diet1-5was suggested by observations made on the protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism of isolated kidney cells under various pathologic conditions (cell injury and/or changes in pH, sodium bicarbonate concentration, oxygen tension and metabolizable substrate6-11). Until 1944 the consensus was that dietary treatment was useful in kidney disease but of no value in hypertensive vascular disease. "The diet in uncomplicated hypertension requires no essential change from the normal. There is no justification for restriction of protein intake, indeed, such restriction may result in anemia and other evidences of malnutrition. Likewise, in the absence of edema or paroxysmal dyspnea, the restriction of salt is unwarranted; claims that such restriction may lower the blood pressure have not been substantiated. Obesity should be avoided for the same reasons that apply to normal individuals and not because of any demonstrated relationship to hypertensive