Eating a balanced diet, including protein from a variety of sources, may help adults lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research. Hypertension, or high blood pressure is one of the leading contributors to cardiovascular disease. When left untreated, high blood pressure damages the circulatory system and is a significant contributing factor to heart attack, stroke and other health conditions. The study, published in the journal Hypertension, showed that those people who ate four or more protein foods, which include whole grains, refined grains, processed red meat, unprocessed red meat, poultry, fish, egg and legumes, had a 66 per cent lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who ate less than two, Medical Xpress reported . “The heart health message is that consuming a balanced diet with proteins from various different sources, rather than focusing on a single source of dietary protein, may help to prevent the development of high blood pressure,” said Xianhui Qin, from the National Clinical Research Centre for Kidney Disease at Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University in China. “Nutrition may be an easily accessible and effective measure to fight against hypertension. Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is one of the three basic macro-nutrients,” Qin added. There is a strong association between poor diet quality and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease. In its 2021 dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association advises people eat healthy sources of protein, mostly from plants and may include seafood and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and, if desired, lean cuts and unprocessed forms of meat or poultry. The American Heart Association also recommends eating one to two servings, or 5.5 ounces, of protein daily. The team analysed health information for nearly 12,200 adults living in China. A trained interviewer collected 24-hour dietary information over three days in the same week during each round of the survey. The analysis found more than 35 per cent of the nearly 12,200 participants developed new-onset high hypertension during follow-up. Over 50% global population yearly affected by headache disorder: More than 52 per cent of the global population are affected by a headache disorder every year, with 14 per cent reporting migraines, according to study. Headaches are one of the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide seen mainly among adults between 20 and 65. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology reviewed 357 publications from between 1961 and the end of 2020 to estimate the global prevalence of headaches, Medical Daily reported . The review, published in The Journal of Headache and Pain, showed about 26 per cent people reported a tension-type headache and 4.6 per cent reported a headache for 15 or more days per month. Further, the studies also indicated that about 15.8 per cent of the world’s population have a headache on any given day, and almost half of those individuals report a migraine (7 per cent).