Racial disparities in terms of varying prevalence for different diseases may have a multitude of causes underneath the surface. Sometimes genetics raises its guilty hand. Sometime geographical factors like sun exposure, fish intake, or local toxins may cast their vote in a person’s health future. Researchers entered into a study in JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) to search for explanations for high blood pressure rates being higher in African Americans.
What amazing insight did they uncover? What intricate pathway to wellness did they shed light on? They found the about half the blood pressure difference in men and almost a third of the difference in women could be accounted for by the… “Southern diet” pattern. This included fried and processed food along with increased intake of sweetened beverages. Higher salt intake fell into this pattern as well.
So, in this groundbreaking study, they essentially support what functional medicine has been promoting for years. Avoid lots of sweets and processed foods if you want to improve your chance of living a healthier more abundant life.
George Howard, Mary Cushman, Claudia S. Moy, Suzanne Oparil, Paul Muntner, Daniel T. Lackland, Jennifer J. Manly, Matthew L. Flaherty, Suzanne E. Judd, Virginia G. Wadley, D. Leann Long, Virginia J. Howard. Association of Clinical and Social Factors With Excess Hypertension Risk in Black Compared With White US Adults. JAMA, 2018; 320 (13): 1338 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.13467
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
