Fancy a pork chop for dinner? Well, don’t let heath concerns hold you back: meat can be good for your blood pressure.
A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension has found that long-term protein intake is predictive of lower blood pressure. Researchers examined data collected in the Framingham Offspring Study, a long-term study of thousands. They examined a cohort of 1,361 participants, age thirty to fifty-four, over the course of eleven years. The rate of high blood pressure amongst the group was as high as one in three, but researchers found that participants in the thirty highest group of protein intake—which was about 100 grams per day—showed a 40% lower risk of developing high blood pressure. Interestingly, researchers found that the source of protein did not matter. Animal or plant, about 100 grams per day was associated with lower blood pressure.
Of course, in steakhouse terms, 100 grams is about three and a half ounces, so if you eat that twelve ounce ribeye, you’re not eating any protein for the next three days. Still, you’re better off than a vegetarian.
Photo courtesy of Flickr.
