Macro partitioning
Higher relative carbohydrate intake (42-51% of energy) causally reduces hypertension risk by 71% compared to lower intake, independent of protein and fat intake.
If you have hypertension, increasing your carbohydrate intake to represent 42-51% of your total daily energy may help lower your blood pressure risk, provided you adjust other macronutrients accordingly. This finding is based on genetic evidence from large European cohorts, suggesting a causal protective effect of relative carbohydrate intake over protein and fat.
Meta-analyses of multivariable MR estimates from FinnGen and UK Biobank indicated that each one-SD higher relative carbohydrate intake was associated with 71% (odds ratio: 0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.79) lower risk of hypertension, independently of other dietary macronutrients.
Why this rating
Mendelian Randomization provides strong causal inference for observational data, though it relies on genetic proxies for diet.
Source
Causal Effect of Relative Carbohydrate Intake on Hypertension through Psychological Well-Being and Adiposity: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Chaojie Ye et al. · Nutrients · 2023
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