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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 The study was not able to identify those people who ate low-fat dairy, but it had data on total fat, polyunsaturated fat, and saturated fat.
Samantha Heller, senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City, said: "The association [in the study] was mainly among people with less saturated fat. We know this is a bad fat, and eat as little as possible."
The findings appear in the August issue of the journal Hypertension.
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About one in three Americans suffers from high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack as well as kidney and heart failure.
Drugs can treat the condition, as can lifestyle changes such as diet. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is low in salt and rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure.
But the secrets to the success of the DASH diet have remained elusive.
"There was such a combination of factors that we don't know whether the effect of DASH came from low sodium, low cholesterol or fruit and vegetables," explained Djousse, who's also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "It has been hard to tell which part of that, or a combination of all, that were producing the effects," Djousse said.
It's not clear where the benefit is coming from or even if it's cause-and-effect. It's unlikely to be calcium, Djousse said, although potassium and magnesium, which are also plentiful in the DASH diet, might be responsible. "Our study showed that dietary potassium and magnesium were associated with a lower odds of high blood pressure," Djousse said.
The bottom line?
"It would help to eat dairy products as long as you keep the saturated fats in check," Djousse said.
More information
Visit the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org ) for more on high blood pressure.
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