Chinese food is one of the most consumed in the world. It is estimated that more than a fifth of the world’s population eats Chinese food regularly. Despite having a reputation for being unhealthy –because it uses many sauces and fats–, now a study carried out by members of Peking University (China) has found that it could help reduce blood pressure in adults, yes, by changing some things in its preparation, especially the salt content.
These beneficial effects against high blood pressure occur within just a few weeks of starting a modified version of this type of diet. The study, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, changed the traditional Chinese diet to reduce fat intake, increase protein, carbohydrates and potassium, and double dietary fiber.
The researchers took as a reference the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is characterized by reducing salt in the diet and increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, meat and low-fat dairy products, and nuts. , to create a healthier type of Chinese food.
A healthy Chinese diet with half the salt
The study involved 265 Chinese adults with high blood pressure who were randomly separated into two groups, one following their usual diet and one following a modified, heart-healthy version of traditional Cantonese, Sichuan, Shandong, or Huaiyang cuisine for a period of 28 days.
The healthy diet lowered participants’ calories from fat by 11%, increased calorie intake from carbohydrates by 8%, and increased calories from protein by 4%. Fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium intake were increased in the group eating the modified Chinese diets, while sodium (salt) was cut in half, from nearly 6,000 mg daily to about 3,000 mg .
This version of the healthier Chinese diet would be beneficial for the heart, and could reduce cardiovascular disease by 20% and heart failure by 28%
The results showed that blood pressure decreased in both groups, however, those who ate one of the four healthy versions of Chinese food had greater reductions. Specifically, their systolic blood pressure dropped an additional 10 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure almost 4 mmHg, all or compared to the control group.
The findings suggest that if this more heart-healthy diet were maintained, it could reduce major cardiovascular disease by 20%, heart failure by 28%, and death from any cause by 13%.
This change from Chinese food to a healthier one didn’t differ much from the taste of the traditional version, and it only cost about 60 cents more a day so it could be a good way to treat high blood pressure problems easily since low cost.
“Healthcare professionals should recommend a heart-healthy diet that is low in sodium and high in potassium, fiber, vegetables, and fruits as first-line treatment for their patients with high blood pressure. Because traditional Chinese dietary culture and cooking methods are often used wherever Chinese people live, I believe that a heart-healthy Chinese diet and the principles we used to develop the diet would also be helpful to Chinese Americans. ”, explains Dr. Yangfeng Wu, lead author of the study.
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