A new study suggests that regularly eating a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids could help lower blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids, are found in certain fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils and are known to promote health. It is especially beneficial for the heart, reported the online edition of health Magazine WebMD.Earlier research had also found that it plays a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.
Short-term studies had already indicated that taking dietary supplements of this fatty acid could lower blood pressure in people with hypertension, but its impact in people without hypertension was previously unknown.
The new research by a team of scientists led by Hirotsugu Ueshima at Japan's Shiga University found that consuming the fatty acids as part of a normal diet may prevent blood pressure problems.
The scientists studied 4,680 men and women in Japan, China, Britain and the US. Participants, 40-59 years old, met the researchers four times over three weeks.
In each session, they got their blood pressure checked, provided a urine sample, and reported everything they had eaten and drunk in the past 24 hours.
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According to the study, published in the journal Hypertension, participants with the highest intake of Omega-3 fatty acids had the tendency to have the lowest blood pressure.
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Omega-3 fatty acids didn't appear to drastically slash blood pressure. However, every small reduction in blood pressure counts and including foods rich in Omega-3 such as flaxseeds, walnuts and fatty fish such as salmon may have blood pressure benefits, the researchers noted.
source-IANS
SRM/M
