A low-fat diet not only helps lower blood pressure but also reduces the level of an amino acid in the human body that can trigger heart disease, according to research results recently announced by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
These researchers discovered several years ago that vegetarians have a lower incidence of heart disease, and thus began to quantitatively study the effects of a low-fat diet on human health. They found that eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and sugar not only helps lower blood pressure but also reduces the level of homocysteine in the body. Homocysteine is an amino acid linked to the occurrence of heart disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have named this low-fat diet the "DASH diet" (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
The research shows that changing unbalanced eating habits has many benefits. Given that most Americans do not adhere to a vegetarian diet, the researchers suggest that their diet should be primarily based on vegetables and fruits, with meat, poultry, and fish as supplements. The specific research findings are published in the latest issue of the American Heart Association's journal, *Circulation*.