Dietary Oily Fish Intake and Blood Pressure Levels: A Population‐Based Study

Abstract

The effect of fish consumption on blood pressure is controversial. The authors measured blood pressure and calculated oily fish servings per week in 677 community‐dwellers aged 40 years and older living in rural coastal Ecuador. Using regression models with linear splines, the authors evaluated whether dietary fish intake was related to blood pressure levels, after adjusting for relevant confounders. Mean oily fish consumption was 9.1±5.6 servings per week. There was a nonlinear relationship between systolic pressure and fish servings. In the group of individuals consuming up to five servings per week, each serving significantly reduced systolic pressure by 2.3 mm Hg (P=.020). Any extra serving provided no further effects. The study shows an inverse relationship between oily fish consumption and systolic pressure. Currently recommended amounts of dietary oily fish intake per week (1–2 servings) might be insufficient to exert beneficial effects of fish in the control of blood pressure.

Association between dietary adherence, anthropometric measurements and blood pressure in an urban black population, South Africa

“…This led the authors to conclude that the current recommendation for fish intake might be insufficient; they also found intakes of ≥ 6 servings per week did not have any additional benefits. 24 In the current study a positive correlation was observed between MUFA intake and SBP in the women's group. This finding is difficult to explain and different from the study of Rasmussen and colleagues, 25 who found that an increase in MUFA intake and a decrease in saturated fat intake resulted in a decrease in DBP.…”

The relationship between omega‐3 fatty acids and blood pressure

“…Another study conducted in 2015 in the rural town of Atahualpa, Ecuador sought to discover the effect of a primarily fish diet on blood pressure in 677 villagers aged 40 or older. The ancestral diet of the villagers is rich in wild‐caught fish and carbohydrates, but poor in meat and dairy products with most meals being cooked at home.…”

Effects of intact and hydrolysed blue whiting proteins on blood pressure and markers of kidney function in obese Zucker fa/fa rats

“…High blood pressure is associated with increased risk of chronic renal and cardiovascular diseases [1][2][3]. Lifestyle modifications are recommended to prevent hypertension [4], and several studies show that a high fish intake is associated with lower blood pressure [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. A blood pressure-lowering effect of fish may be mediated through the angiotensin-renin system, since peptides with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting capacities in vitro have been identified in fish fillet, skin and backbone [13], but evidence concerning in vivo effects of fish proteins on blood pressure is limited.…”