High blood pressure is common condition that can wreck havoc on virtually every organ system of the body if left untreated. Despite its capacity to do significant damage, you can have this disease and not even know it. It truly is a silent killer. Fortunately, once diagnosed, high blood pressure can usually be treated with a combination of lifestyle factors and medications. Dietary changes, especially a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, has been shown to modestly lower blood pressure; and foods rich in the minerals calcium, potassium, and magnesium also appear to have beneficial effects on blood pressure. Now, a new study shows that eating more vegetable protein may be a way to reduce blood pressure naturally.

A Study

This new study which was published in the American Heart Associations’ Journal, showed that increasing the intake of glutamic acid through eating vegetable protein could lower systolic blood pressure levels by as much as 3 mm. This modest reduction could result in a six to ten percent reduction in stroke death rate and a four to six percent decrease in death from coronary artery disease among people with high blood pressure, all from making a simple dietary change. In this study, glutamic acid levels were increased by only 4.72 percent to see this drop in blood pressure.

What Is Glutamic Acid?

Glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid that plays an important role in cellular metabolism. Although glutamic acid is found in both vegetable protein sources and animal ones, this study concentrated on the glutamic acid found in vegetable protein sources. Some vegetable protein sources that are high in glutamic acid include soy products such as tofu, tempeh, as well as beans and whole grain foods. Non-vegetable sources include egg whites, cheese, meat, and poultry.

Why Is It Beneficial?

Adopting a diet high in vegetable protein to reduce blood pressure naturally could have multiple health benefits both for blood pressure control and for the heart. Many vegetable proteins are rich in the minerals calcium, potassium, and magnesium which are important for blood pressure control. Plus, vegetarian protein sources are lower in fat than animal derived protein which is beneficial for heart health.

How to Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally With Vegetable Proteins

To reduce blood pressure naturally, try substituting vegetarian protein for half of the current animal based protein you currently eat. Add more beans to meat based dishes to reduce the amount of animal protein you consume and substitute tempeh for half of the meat in pasta dishes, soups, and stir fries. Tempeh takes on the flavor of any sauce you use and has a texture somewhat similar to meat. Instead of buying regular bacon and sausage, try soy based bacon and sausage instead. Adding more vegetable protein to your diet can be a simple way to reduce blood pressure naturally and give your heart some powerful benefits as well.