Grant: Project Grant

High blood pressure (BP), also known as hypertension, is the leading cause of heart disease and is expected to rise over the next 20 years. The main treatment for hypertension is often medication, but studies have shown that diets can lower BP and help lower the risk of developing hypertension. New findings have shown that vegetables with a high content of nitrate may lower blood pressure more than other vegetables. However, many of these studies have been small and preliminary. Thus, in our current study, we aim to explore the role of dietary nitrate from vegetables on blood pressure and heart disease risk factors over an extended period of time. A total of 120 patients with above-normal BP who are not taking medication for blood pressure will be enrolled into the study. The patients will be randomly divided into 2 groups. The Test Group will be advised to consume vegetable powders high in nitrate content while the control group will be advised to consume vegetable powders that will be low in nitrate. Blood pressure and various related vascular measures will be obtained during clinic visits over the 12 weeks. As high vegetable intake is recommended as part of a healthy lifestyle, results from this study may uncover additional health benefits of certain vegetables and a novel dietary strategy to lower BP.