Another Reason to Eat Whole Food

This summer, the Journal of Nutrition published a study that found that women who ate diets high in proteins had lower blood pressure and less arterial stiffness.

The researchers analyzed the diets of 1900 woman for levels of seven amino acids: arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine and tyrosine. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. They also measured the women’s blood pressure and arterial stiffness, both of which are risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

After accounting for established heart risk factors, including family history, sodium intake, body weight and physical activity, they found a couple of interesting things:

  • All seven amino acids, especially those from plant sources, were tied to lower blood pressure, similar to what had been reported in other studies of diet and hypertension.
  • Higher intakes of the amino acids, glutamic acid, leucine and tyrosine, all abundant in animal proteins, were associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness–just as seen in those who don’t smoke.

You can read the Globe and Mail coverage here.

Getting the Right Take Home Message

It would be easy to interpret the results of this study as, “Eat more protein.” But that might be missing the bigger picture. To get it right, we need to start by asking, Why are people protein deficient?

Often, the answer is that many North American diets are protein deficient because  they’re high in sugary drinks and processed carbohydrates. These are very calorie dense, but nutrient deficient.

The women who had diets high in those helpful amino acids were eating “whole foods” like meat, fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and soy to name a few. These foods are nutrient dense, and not only high in amino acids, but also in anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. They’re all important for maintaining overall health, and heart health specifically.

Again, we’re returning to the same message: focus on food quality, not quantity. Eating whole food makes it easy to eat lots of great, cardio-protective amino acids. Eating highly processed food makes it easy to consume sugar, salt and additives. Often, the best food you eat is the food you cook.

Check out this great granola recipe to get you started, courtesy of our newsletter archives.