DIET AND HYPERTENSION IN BRAZIL: INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Systemic arterial hypertension is a disease with a prevalence of up to 1/3 of the Brazilian population and the 2020 guideline recommends changing diet as a form of control in all advances of the disease, with recommendation grade I and level of evidence A. The objective was to analyze in the literature which foods or diets were related to the control of this disease in the Brazilian population and discuss the principles of their effectiveness and the difficulties in their effective implementation. Search for articles published between January 2013 and March 2023 on Web of Science by MeSH descriptors, using the PICO strategy and classification by the GRADE system as selection criteria. 156 studies were obtained, 5 of which met the inclusion criteria, 3 of which were planned clinical trials, addressing the DASH diet and consumption of Brazil nuts, and 2 cohort studies on the risk of a diet rich in ultra-processed foods. Clinical trials obtained positive results on blood pressure levels and laboratory parameters, while groups with high consumption of ultra-processed foods had a relative risk and higher achievement. It was noted that dietary strategies sought to include common foods in Brazil, as a way of facilitating adherence for cultural reasons, however social disparities still remain limited.