Processed Foods Linked To Increased Blood Pressure, Study Finds

Uncover the impact of processed food on blood pressure variability. Learn how unprocessed food aids in cardiovascular health management.

Quick Summary

• The study establishes a correlation between a high proportion of processed foods in one’s diet and increased blood pressure variability, particularly during the night.
• Unprocessed and minimally processed foods, on the other hand, were found to reduce blood pressure fluctuations between day and night.
• Surprisingly, the study found that consumption of ultra-processed foods was inversely associated with the non-dipping pattern and extreme dipping of blood pressure, a finding that warrants further research.
• These findings highlight the significant role of dietary and lifestyle choices in managing hypertension and overall cardiovascular health.
• It emphasizes the need to prioritize unprocessed or minimally processed foods over processed ones for better cardiovascular health.

In a groundbreaking study, published in the distinguished “Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases Journal”, researchers dug deep into our diets.

They cast a keen eye on the processed foods we consume and how it links to our blood pressure.

The tools they wielded?

Nothing less than ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, an innovative technique that tracks blood pressure changes round-the-clock.

Their results threw light on a hitherto hidden health hazard.

The more processed food in your plate, the more your blood pressure tends to swing, they found.

Moreover, such diets may be linked to extreme drops in blood pressure during the night.

On the flip side, the researchers unearthed a silver lining.

Consuming unprocessed or minimally processed foods seemed to stabilize blood pressure, reducing the stark fluctuations from day to night.

It was a profound revelation about the power of the food we eat and its impact on our bodies.

Hypertension And Cardiovascular Health

Hypertension, the ubiquitous “silent killer”, continues to be a major health concern worldwide.

Striking an estimated 31.1% of the global population, it is characterized by persistent high blood pressure.

The implications of hypertension are far from mild.

According to research, it is the villain behind a whopping 50% of strokes and coronary heart disease incidents across the globe.

The causes of hypertension can be traced to both non-modifiable factors like our genetics and age, and modifiable ones, such as our lifestyle choices and what we choose to put on our plates.

Amid an array of tools to measure blood pressure and diagnose hypertension, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) emerges as a frontrunner.

Unlike traditional methods that capture just a snapshot of our blood pressure, ABPM offers a more comprehensive picture by recording changes throughout the day and night.

Researchers have employed ABPM to explore a variety of aspects of blood pressure. They’ve looked into the “dips” in blood pressure during the night, the morning surge in blood pressure, and the variability of blood pressure.

Each of these factors is known to predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Prior research has tried to connect the dots between food processing and our general health.

The NOVA system of food classification, which categorizes foods based on the extent of processing, has been a key instrument in these studies.

Yet, the relationship between food processing and hypertension has been elusive.

This study is the first to use ABPM data within the framework of NOVA to decipher the effect of processed food on cardiovascular health.

Read also: Why Does My Blood Pressure Fluctuate?

About The Study

Diving into the details of the study, researchers tapped into the data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health, also known as ELSA-Brasil.

Of the 1,660 participants who provided ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measurements, 845 were deemed ineligible and thus, were excluded from the analysis.

This left a robust sample size of 815 participants, aged 35 to 70 years.

The gender divide was nearly even, with males making up 49.3% and females accounting for 50.7% of the participants.

To obtain a comprehensive understanding of blood pressure variations, researchers collected ABPM data in a meticulous manner.

During daytime hours, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., measurements were taken every 20 minutes. During the night, between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the frequency was adjusted to every 30 minutes.

But that’s not all.

To capture dietary patterns, the participants were asked to complete a detailed food frequency questionnaire.

This record included their consumption of different foods and beverages over the span of a year.

Adding another layer of data, the participants also kept a diary of their sleep and wake-up times.

Researchers combined this information with the ABPM data to estimate blood pressure variability, nocturnal dipping, and the surge in blood pressure in the morning.

Under the NOVA food classification system, the consumed foods were divided into three categories:

• Processed foods (PF)
• Unprocessed or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients (U/MPFCI)
• Ultra-processed foods (UPF)

While processed foods featured items like cheeses, bread, and alcohol, the U/MPFCI category included fruits, vegetables, butter, eggs, and rice.

Ultra-processed foods ranged from cakes and pizzas to instant noodles.

Finally, the proportion of each food category in the respondents’ diets was calculated and used as the basis for statistical analyses, conducted through generalized linear models.

This rigorous approach ensured that the study explored the relationship between food processing and blood pressure from all angles.

Study Findings

The demographic breakdown of the study showed that a majority of the participants were white, aged between 45 and 54 years, and highly educated—having attained a master’s degree or higher.

Furthermore, they belonged to the highest income bracket in Brazil.

When it came to physical activity, most participants fell on the lower end of the spectrum.

Only 28% engaged in moderate to high levels of physical activity.

A somewhat alarming 16.2% reported instances of binge drinking, defined as consuming more than five alcoholic beverages within a span of 2 hours, multiple times a month.

Delving deeper, researchers found that many participants had a genetic and environmental predisposition to hypertension.

In fact, 70% reported a family history of hypertension, while 31% were on antihypertensive drugs during the study period.

Analyzing their diet, the lion’s share of food consumption among participants was unprocessed or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients (U/MPF&CI) at 63.1%.

This was followed by ultra-processed foods (UPF) at 24.8%, and processed foods (PF) accounted for the smallest proportion at 10.8%.

This distribution was consistent with prior estimates. Males and binge-drinkers consumed more processed foods than other participants.

Interestingly, no clear correlation emerged between the type of food consumed and morning blood pressure surge.

However, a high consumption of processed foods was linked with greater blood pressure variability and a higher likelihood of extreme nocturnal blood pressure dipping.

One of the researchers was quoted as saying:

“A possible explanation for this positive association is the nutritional composition of these foods. The manufacturing process of processed foods often involves the loss of water and the addition of sugar, oil, and particularly sodium—a known risk factor for increased blood pressure and hypertension. This transforms the original food into a nutrient source linked to poorer health outcomes.”

Importantly, these findings remained consistent even after adjusting for potential confounding variables such as age, sex, race, education, genetic history, or income.

As blood pressure variability has been demonstrated to independently predict cardiovascular disease and mortality, these results underline the health benefits of opting for unprocessed or minimally processed foods over processed foods.

Nevertheless, the researchers acknowledged the limitations of ABPM, noting its costliness and the financial implications for future studies involving larger sample sizes.

Conclusions

This groundbreaking study highlights the link between high consumption of processed foods and increased blood pressure variability, particularly at night.

The findings emphasize the crucial role of diet and lifestyle in cardiovascular health.

Interestingly, researchers noted an unexpected association: higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked to less variation in night-time blood pressure.

This puzzling finding suggests a need for further investigation into the effects of ultra-processed foods on our health.

In conclusion, the study underscores the importance of prioritizing unprocessed or minimally processed foods over processed ones for better cardiovascular health, while inviting further research on the impacts of ultra-processed foods.

Read also: Best Foods, Herbs And Spices To Lower Blood Pressure