Did You Know: Avoid the Southern Dietary Pattern to Improve Hypertension

A study published in Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 2, 2018, suggests that African Americans are at higher risk for hypertension (high blood pressure) than Caucasians due to their diet. Among 6,897 participants whose eating habits were recorded across nine years, 46 percent of African Americans suffered from hypertension at the end of the study period, compared with one-third of Caucasians. Also, black women had a higher body mass index than white women.

A Southern-style dietary pattern is the primary reason, the researchers said, and was responsible for 29 percent of the black women’s risk for hypertension. The Southern diet is heavy in fried foods and processed meats and low in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats. People who follow this type of dietary pattern live everywhere. However, 11 Southern states—Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, and Virginia—have the highest incidences of stroke in the U.S., and together, are commonly referred to as the “Stroke Belt.” Hypertension risk, which is a leading cause of stroke, can be lowered with dietary improvements.

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