Key result
Mediterranean diet lowers blood pressure in healthy and hypertensive individuals, but effect size remains unquantified.
Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. Some studies have reported that food typical of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil, have a favorable effect on the risk of hypertension, whereas food not typical of this dietary pattern such as red meat, processed meat, and poultry has an unfavorable effect. In this review, we have summarized observational and intervention studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews that have evaluated the effects of the MedDiet as a pattern towards blood pressure (BP). However, the number of such studies is small. In general terms, the MedDiet has a favorable effect in reducing BP in hypertensive or healthy people but we do not have enough data to declare how strong this effect is. Many more studies are required to fully understand the BP changes induced by the MedDiet.
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Pergola et al. (2018) conducted a review in Hypertension. Mediterranean diet was evaluated on Blood pressure (BP). The Mediterranean diet favorably reduces blood pressure in hypertensive or healthy people, although current data is insufficient to quantify the strength of this effect.
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