Fruits and vegetables improve BP control in CKD patients with associated metabolic acidosis

Fruits and vegetables improve BP control in CKD patients with associated metabolic acidosis Treating metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with base-producing fruits and vegetables but not sodium bicarbonate lowered the systolic blood pressure followed by use of fewer anti-hypertensive drugs and those too in lower doses, says a study presented at the Hypertension 2016 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA) in Orlando, Florida on September 14, 2016. The treatment costs were also reduced. In the study, researchers randomized 108 subjects with CKD stage 3 eGFR (30-59 ml/min) and metabolic acidosis into three groups: One group received fruits and vegetables to reduce dietary potential renal acid load (PRAL) 50%, the second group was given oral sodium bicarbonate to reduce PRAL 50% and the third group received usual care and no alkali. After five years, the average systolic blood pressure was lower in the fruit and vegetable group (125 mm Hg) vs sodium bicarbonate (135 mm Hg) group vs no alkali group (134 mm Hg). Also, the average cost of drugs to maintain the blood pressure was nearly half in the fruit and vegetable group ($79,760) vs the sodium bicarbonate group ($155,372) vs no alkali group ($152,305) at five years.

Eating more fruits and vegetables predict happiness and satisfaction with life

Eating more fruits and vegetables predict happiness and satisfaction with life

Dr K K Aggarwal

New research suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables can also increase levels of happiness later in life. In a study to be published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that alterations in fruit and vegetable intake were predictive of later alterations in happiness and satisfaction with life. 

People who had been eating almost no fruits and vegetables and changed their diet to include fruits and vegetables per day experienced an increase in life satisfaction comparable to finding employment from an unemployed state. Their level of happiness increased incrementally for each extra daily portion of fruit and vegetables up to eight portions per day. The improvement in well-being was observed within 2 years of the study participants improving their diet.

The study examined food diaries of 12,385 randomly sampled Australian adults over 2007, 2009, and 2013 in the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey.

A collaboration between the University of Warwick, England and the University of Queensland, Australia, it is one of the first major scientific attempts to explore psychological well-being beyond the well-known finding that fruits and vegetables can reduce risk of diabetes, cancer and heart attacks. 

(Source: Science Daily)