Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gulf War Illness is a multi-symptom condition affecting veterans of the 1990 to 1991 Gulf War, which often presents with comorbid hypertension. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the low glutamate diet, as well as an acute challenge of monosodium glutamate (MSG)/placebo, on resting heart rate, blood oxygenation level, and blood pressure (BP) in this population. METHODS: These data were measured at 4 time points: baseline, after 1 month on the low glutamate diet, and during each challenge week, where subjects were randomized into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover challenge with MSG/placebo over 3 days each week. Pre-post diet changes were analyzed using paired t tests, change in the percentage of veterans meeting the criteria for hypertension was compared using chi-square or Fisher exact tests, and crossover challenge results were analyzed using general linear modeling in SAS® 9.4. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in systolic BP (sitting and recumbent; both P < .001) and diastolic BP (sitting; P = .02) after 1 month on the diet. The percentage meeting the criteria for hypertension was also significantly reduced (P < .05). Challenge with MSG/placebo did not demonstrate an acute effect of glutamate on blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings suggest that the low glutamate diet may be an effective treatment for lowering blood pressure in veterans with Gulf War Illness. This dietary effect does not appear to be driven by reduced consumption of free glutamate, but rather, by an increase in consumption of non-processed foods.