Hypertension prevalence had almost doubled within only four decades; from 594 million in 1975 to 1.13 billion in 2015, and to this day, the cases continue to grow. It is also well-known that hypertension has a significant correlation with other life-threatening diseases and conditions such as heart failure, ischemic stroke, brain hemorrhage, and chronic kidney disease. Despite its danger as the cause of premature death worldwide, around 46% of adults do not aware of their hypertensive conditions. In response to this problem, World Health Organization has declared its target to reduce hypertension globally by 33% in 2030.
Along with medication, the main focus of public health recommendation to keep hypertension under control is promoting healthy lifestyle, namely optimizing dietary intake and physical activity. Recognized diet such as DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) or Mediterranean diet are some dietary recommendations intended to lower or moderate high blood pressure. Although there are number of evidence that these diets work, however, many challenges remain present. With individual diversity in terms of ethnicity, cultural preferences, health status, clinical factors and most importantly, DNA blueprint, it prompts the question “Is there a better alternative to current ‘one size fits all’ dietary recommendation?”
Role of Genetics in Nutrition for Hypertension
Personalized nutrition is currently a trending topic among nutrition experts. Many researchers indicate the importance of tailoring diet to each individual’s distinctive needs. Let us look at research conducted by Loo and colleagues to understand how individual differences matter.
This research involved 158 adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension as participants. They were given diets (called OmniHeart diet) with 58% calories from carbohydrates, 15% from proteins, and 27% from fat. These percentages were similar to the Mediterranean diet composition. The dietary intervention lasts for six weeks. In the end of the study, the urine samples of participants were collected and analyzed.
The researchers found out that there were two different responses towards the same diet. The first group, which was around 70-80% of the participants, had their risk factors of cardiovascular diseases reduced, which include lower blood pressure. This was known through their excretion of proline-betaine, creatine, carnitine, and hippurate in urine. On the other hand, the remaining 20-30% percentage of participants who were categorized as the second group experienced lesser impact. They excreted less metabolites than the first group did. This means that the first group reaped the benefits of OmniHeart diet but not the second group. One possible explanation for this finding is the presence of gut microbiota, which differs among individuals based on their genetic variations.
Another finding that also signals the pivotal role of genetics in nutrition was from research organized by Chu and colleagues in 2016. The participants were asked to follow a 7-day diet for three weeks of low-salt diet, high-salt diet, and high-salt diet plus potassium supplementation respectively. After that, the urinary specimens of the participants were taken and measured. Blood specimens were also obtained to extract adiponectin gene, a gene involved in blood pressure regulation. The results revealed that adiponectin gene variations among individuals might influence different levels of sensitivity towards salt. Those who were sensitive towards salt or can also be called “sodium responders”, might respond better to lower sodium diet which was marked by having blood pressure reduced. Unfortunately, that exact same diet would have little to no effect on blood pressure for those who do not belong to “sodium responders”.
With the examples, now we know that the understanding of one’s DNA blueprint is the key to accurate nutrition recommendation. In other words, a personalized nutrition approach is something we must pay attention to when it comes to hypertension treatment and prevention.
Personalized Nutrition in Hypertension
After knowing the role of genetics, now come the next step: begin the personalized nutrition journey. However, some of us might wonder, what about the general recommendation? Is it time to leave all that behind? The answer is: not necessarily.
Although the term “personalized nutrition” might change the way we perceive our nutrition, the ultimate goal is not to replace the general recommendation. Rather, it is to fill the gaps that exist and improve what has been a successful approach.
Consider this scenario: let’s say we are being offered by lots of popular diet out there to tackle our hypertensive conditions, including Mediterranean diet and DASH diet. These popular diets were designed based on general understanding of how human nutrition works overall. Despite that, we already knew some of them work for us, some of them just do not. How do we decide which one is the best to pick? Our DNA can tell right away. This is where getting tested for nutrigenetics is important.
If after getting tested we find out that we have the genetic of “sodium responders”, then we can proceed to follow general recommendation and choose Mediterranean diet or DASH diet, which are low sodium diets. And if the test shows that we are non-sodium responders, then we can make adjustment to that diet accordingly.
As the emerging discussions start to recognize the importance of personalized nutrition, taking the first step will make a huge difference in tackling hypertension. In Nalagenetics, we can help you figure out whether you have a high or low sensitivity towards sodium by using Nala NutriReadyTM. Also, we provide you with personalized meal plans and consultation session with nutritionists who are happy to assist. Contact us on 08119941440 now to begin your personalized nutrition journey!
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