Danielle George - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Lead author Dr. Lyn M. Steffen, from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues note that as plant food intake rose, the risk of elevated blood pressure fell. The opposite trend was observed with red meat intake.

These results, the authors conclude, suggest that greater plant food intakes and lower meat intakes as part of a habitual diet may prevent the development of high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease.