812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 2, 1993 Eat Dairy Products To Control SOUTHAMPTON (Bucks Co.) For decades, dietary recom mendations for hypertension have focused primarily on eliminating excesses in the diet that provoke high blood pressure. A new report released by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) also points to a growing body of research on the potential benefits of adding certain nutri ents into a balanced diet. For the first time, NHLBI is recommending that people with hypertension get adequate cal cium, potassium and magnesium in their diets. This fifth Report on Detection, Evaluation and Treat ment of High Blood Pressure also reaffirms the importance of other well-known lifestyle modifica tions that help control hypertension. The report says it is too early to tell how and why these nutrients may have an effect on hyperten sion. While additional research is conducted, however, it recom mends that people who have or are at risk of hypertension make sure to get the recommended daily allowance of these nutrients. Each is readily available in common foods though dairy products are the only food source that pro vides all three of these minerals simultaneously in meaningful quantities. The Need for Calcium Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. While it is critical to body funtion and good health, the body does not manu facture it. Calcium comes directly from foods we eat. If we do not consistently get enough calcium in the diet, the body drains the min eral from bones where 99 per cent of the body’s calcium is stored and once removed, it is not easily replenished. Scientists have known for some time that calcium is essential for building strong bones during childhood and early adulthood. Most people associate calcium deficiencies with osteoporosis, a disease characterized by loss of bone mass that results in an increased risk of fractures. Research has shown that cal cium also plays an essential role in blood clotting, nerve transmis- sion, regulating heart rhythm and muscle contraction. And for some people, inadequate calcium intake is also associated with the deve- lopment of hypertension. The Magnesium and Potassium Connection Magnesium is a key nutrient in the body that is essential to tire function of many enzyme systems in the body, building bones and neuromuscular transmission. And as an agent that causes the dilation of blood vessles, magnesium may also play a role in the regulation of blood pressure, according to epidemiological studies. Potassium is primarly involved in the release of energy from car bohydrates, proteins and fats, muscle contraction, maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance in cells and the transmission of nerve impulses. The current body of research noted in the NHLBI report suggests that potassium deficiency may increase blood pressure, while a high dietary potassium intake may' protect against developing hypertension. A Decade of Accumulating Evidence Supports NHLBI Recommendations Findings of nearly 300 studies have begun to show that blood High Blood Pressure pressure may be modified by the intake of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Several investiga tions, in fact, suggest that increas ing dietary calcium lowers blood pressure in some patients with hypertension and in pregnant women at risk of precclampsia or gestational hypertension. Several of the early studies on calcium and hypertension con ducted a decade ago in the United States and Belgium assessed the phenomenon of urinary calcium leaks and found an increase asso ciated with high blood pressure. While the link was not firmly established, multiple laboratories in countries around the world have since confirmed this defect in the kidney’s ability to handle calcium among hypertensive patients. More recently, researchers observe this phenomenon in cer tain populations at increased risk for developing high blood pressure. A scries of observational reports on dietary calcium intake among people with and without high blood pressure indicates that dietary calcium favorably influ ences blood pressure status. Clinical Studies Reaffirm Early Observations Much of the clinical experience runs parallel to these observations. A prospective study of more than servings a day. Dairy foods are the richest sour ces of calcium in the food supply. They contribute more than 75 per cent of calcium in the diet, yet only 12 percent of the fat. Other foods rich in magnesium include leafy green vegetables (eaten raw), lyjts (especially almonds and cashews), soybeans, seeds and whole grains. And potassium is found in such foods as dairy products, orange juice, bananas, dried fruits, meats, bran, peanut butter, dried beans, peas and potatoes with skin. Health experts stress that peo ple with hypertension should add these important nutrients to their diet and follow other recom mended lifestyle changes to have a favorable effect on blood with a lower calcium intake dur- pressure. -58,000 female registered nurses noted a significant inverse associ ation between dietary calcium and hypertension. Women who con sumed at least the RDA of calcium each day had a 23 percent reduced risk of developing hypertension, compared with women who con sumed less than 400 milligrams per day. When combined with the RDA of* magnesium, women experienced a 35 percent reduc tion in risk of developing high blood pressure. In several studies of pregnant women, an increase in calcium consumption significantly reduced either blood pressure or the incidence of pregnancy induced hypertension, a condition known as preeclampsia. One investigation found that women jyi. Dairy Promotion Program joined WPSX-TV, public televi sion, “Winterfest” fund drive. The visit was organized to bring a dairy produet message to the station’s viewing audience throughout central Pennsylvania. Participants in the event, held Saturday, December 5, in State College, included: <left to right) Marel Raub, Perry County Alternate Dairy Princess, Anita Faulkner, Juniata County Dairy Prin cess, and Robin Walls,' Ciarion/Venango Dairy Princess. “Winterfest” Is one of several fund drives conducted by the station throughout the year. ing the first 20 weeks of pregnan cy developed gestational hyper tension while women who con sumed adequate levels did not While considerable evidence suggests a role for calcium in blood pressure regulation, scien tists are not yet claiming a cause and effect relationship. Mean while, scientists are taking a closer look at how calcium may benefit people at risk of hypertension. Currently, there is no way to iden tify who might benefit most from increased calcium consumption. So far, the evidence suggests that getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium, magnesium and potassium will have a beneficial effect Adding Essential Nutrients to the Diet Calcium, magnesium and potassium are naturally occuring minerals in many foods. Yet, many people do not get enough of these nutrients. Dairy products, including milk, cheese and yogurt are the only food sources that con tain sufficient levels of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Only IS percent of adult women and 23 percent of adult men consume two or more servings of calcium-rich foods each day. That means at least 78 million adults in this country are not getting the cal cium they need -- at least three See your nearest I\EW HOLLAND Dealer for Dependable Equipment and Dependable Service: PENNSYLVANIA Annvllie, PA BHM Farm Equipment, Inc. RDI, Rte. 934 717-867-2211 Carlisle, PA R&W Equipment Co. 35 East Willow Street 717-243-2686 Davldsburg, PA George N. Gross, Inc. 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