Are you suffering from high blood pressure? You may want to include more fish and fresh veggies to your diet. Consuming fish, seafood and a primarily vegetarian diet may help reduce hypertension-related heart disease symptoms, revealed a latest study published in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
Seafood and vegetarian food tends to increase levels of a compound called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), known to boost heart health, said researchers from the Medical University of Warsaw in Poland.
The study showed that low-dose treatment with TMAO reduced heart thickening (cardiac fibrosis) and markers of heart failure in an animal model of hypertension.
"Our study provides new evidence for a potential beneficial effect of a moderate increase in plasma TMAO on pressure-overloaded heart," the researchers said.
They analysed the effect of TMAO on rats, which have a genetic tendency to develop high blood pressure.
One group of hypertensive rats were given low-dose TMAO supplements in their drinking water, while the other group was just given plain water.
They were given the TMAO therapy for either 12 weeks or 56 weeks and were examined for heart and kidney damage as well as high blood pressure.
The TMAO treatment did not happen to affect the development of high blood pressure in any of the spontaneously hypertensive rats. However, condition of the animals given the compound was better than expected, even after more than a year of low-dose TMAO treatment.
It was also revealed that four- to five-fold increase in plasma TMAO does not exert negative effects on the circulatory system. This is in contrast to the previous research that showed TMAO blood plasma levels -- and heart disease risk -- rise after the consumption of red meat and eggs.
"It seems that a fish-rich and vegetarian diet, is associated with a significantly higher plasma TMAO than red meat-and egg-rich diets, considered to increase the cardiovascular risk," the researchers noted.
"However, further study is needed to assess the effect of TMAO and TMA on the circulatory system."
Foods for heart:
According to experts worldwide your diet is closely linked to your heart health. Here are four foods you must include in your daily diet to boost heart health.
1. Oats: Oats are known to contain a type of fiber that helps bind bile acids and expel them from the body. These bile acids are made from cholesterol. A diet that includes oats is effective in lowering the cholesterol levels in our body.
2. Nuts: Nuts have high amounts of unsaturated fats that are good for your heart as they help in reducing the inflammation of the arteries.
3. Legumes: Legumes are great for the heart and have antioxidants, proteins and fiber. They are also a great source to get your folate requirement from and also help in increasing the platelet activity.
4. Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and phytoestogens and all of these help in boosting heart health. It is best to soak or grind flaxseeds before consuming them to derive maximum health benefits.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
(With inputs IANS)