News
Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help lower blood pressure in young, healthy adults
24th November 2016
Takeaway
Healthy young people may be able to help prevent the onset of high blood pressure by eating diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
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Key results
They found adults in the highest quarter had about 4 mm Hg lower systolic and 2 mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure compared to those with the least omega-3 fatty acids in their blood.
In general, the higher the omega-3 fatty acids in the blood meant lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
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Study design
Researchers at the University of Zurich studied 2036 young, healthy adults by measuring the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood and recording their blood pressure measurements.
They divided people into four groups, from the quarter with the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood to the quarter with the lowest.
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Why this matters
This suggests promoting diets rich in omega-3 foods could become a strategy to prevent high blood pressure.