Macro partitioning
Substituting 3% of total energy intake from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for carbohydrates (low or high glycemic index) or proteins (animal or vegetable) significantly reduces systolic blood pressure (SBP) in adults.
To potentially lower systolic blood pressure, try replacing 3% of your daily calories from saturated or monounsaturated fats with Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA). This can be done by swapping some animal proteins or refined carbohydrates for PUFA-rich foods like fatty fish, walnuts, or sunflower oil. This swap should be done while keeping your total calorie intake the same. Note that this benefit was observed in men for SBP reduction and in women for hypertension risk reduction in this specific population.
Substituting 3% of energy intake of polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) in place of vegetable protein (β = −2.94, 95% CI: −5.02, −0.86), animal protein (β = −2.68, 95% CI: −4.73, −0.63), low glycemic index (LGI) carbohydrates (β = −2.63, 95% CI: −4.40, −0.86), and high glycemic index (HGI) carbohydrates (β = −2.52, 95% CI: −4.31, −0.74) was associated with a significant reduction in SBP.
Why this rating
Longitudinal cohort study with fixed-effects models controlling for confounders, but observational design prevents causal inference.
Source
Dietary Fats Substitution and Blood Pressure Levels: A Longitudinal Study in Mexican Adults
Paola Villaverde et al. · Nutrients · 2025
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