Plant-based proteins could help prevent high blood pressure

The study¹, published recently in the Journal of the American Heart Association, also suggests that minimally processed animal proteins could be included in weekly meal plans without significantly affecting your chance of getting high blood pressure.

The study's senior author, Dr Marcia Otto, nutritional epidemiologist and an associate professor at UT Health Houston School of Public Health, US, says the study focused on foods, not the plant-based supplements that can be found on supermarket shelves.

What is high blood pressure?

Around 1 in 3 adults in the UK have high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition that raises your likelihood of heart attacks, strokes and other health issues. Prior research has shown diet plays a critical role in the prevention and management of high blood pressure.

In the new study, researchers investigated how the quantity and diversity of proteins you eat from plant and animal sources might affect your vulnerability to high blood pressure.

What the study found

Researchers analysed information over a period of 18 years, from around 3,000 people, who were an average age of 58 and had no history of high blood pressure.

Overall, those who took part reported eating an average of 68 grams per day of protein, with about 24 grams coming from plant sources and the rest coming from animals. On average, participants consumed nine different types of protein per week.

But eating a broader range of plant protein sources ended up increasing the chance of high blood pressure. While the study did not investigate why, Otto said the findings suggest that people who eat a broader range of plant protein sources may include highly processed plant-based options in their diet, which could increase the chance of high blood pressure.

"Their eating patterns started to move toward less healthy plant protein options," she said.

Sources of plant-based protein

The amount of protein found in plants and animals varies.

For example:

• 3 ounces of light tinned tuna fish canned in water has around 22 grams of protein.

• 1 cup of shop-bought hummus has 19 grams.

• 1 cup of boiled lima beans has 15 grams.

Dr Matthew Landry, assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine, USA says: "I think in many ways this study reaffirms things we already knew."

However, Landry, who was not involved in the research, adds that the findings underscore the importance of choosing those plant proteins wisely.

He says: "When it comes to plant-based proteins, it's important to choose whole food sources. You should focus on more minimally processed proteins rather than the highly processed ones.

"A very simple plant-based protein such as tofu is very different from a burger made from meat alternatives. Both contain plant proteins, but they undergo different levels of processing."

This means they can have different amounts of sodium, saturated fat and other additives. Not all of them fit neatly under the label of 'healthy'.

Further reading