Putting It All Together
Research shows that blood pressure is a crucial indicator of your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and overall health. If you have hypertension, which is a BP above 140/90 mm Hg, it is important to create a plan with your doctor to treat it.
Additionally, research shows that maintaining BP at or below 120/80 mm Hg is ideal for optimal health.
Diet is an effective tool in managing hypertension. Evidence shows that cutting carbohydrates may be an effective tool in managing hypertension and prehypertension. More specifically:
- A high-quality intervention study shows that a low-carb diet is more effective than higher-carbohydrate alternatives in decreasing BP
- Low-carbohydrate diets may be better than weight-loss medication coupled with a low-fat diet in managing BP
- A ketogenic Mediterranean diet high in healthy fats, fish, and vegetables may be particularly in fighting BP
- Low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet can increase your chances of developing hypertension
If you are interested in reducing carbohydrates in your diet to fight hypertension or maintain a healthy BP, consult with your dietitian or doctor to see if its a safe plan for you. If so, feel free to check our website for great keto recipes!
P.S. Have a look at the Keto Academy, our foolproof 30-day keto meal planner. It has all the tools, information, and recipes needed for you to succeed.
+ The food will always fit to your macros and cooking preferences!
Keto Diet And Hypertension
Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide and is one of the most important risk factors for several ailments including heart diseases. Uncontrolled high blood pressure could cause hardening and thickening of your blood vessels which might in turn lead to heart attack, stroke or other life-threatening complications.
Per recent estimates, hypertension has a very high prevalence rate in India with nearly one in every three Indian adults affected with the condition. Also, it is estimated that more than half od Indians who have high blood pressure arent aware that they have it.
However, hypertension and its complications can be prevented by adhering to certain lifestyle modifications especially dietary changes.
Keto diet could help lower blood pressure and help prevent increased risk of heart diseases. Being a low-carb, high-fat diet enriched with foods such as meats, nuts, eggs and dairy, the keto diet is designed to trigger the metabolic state of ketosis- a process that happens when your body burns of fat as an alternate source of energy.
Health experts opine that a ketogenic diet can be very effective in treating and supporting weight loss as it mimics a fasting state in ones body. Losing even a very small amount of weight while adhering to this diet can help reduce cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, obesity, as well as elevated bad cholesterol levels.
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Keto And Blood Pressure
The keto diet has been shown to be effective for weight loss and reducing blood pressure. While the keto diet may cause a slight increase in blood pressure for some people, it is generally considered safe for most people with hypertension. In fact, the keto diet can actually help to lower blood pressure by promoting weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity. If you are concerned about keto and blood pressure, speak to your doctor or a registered dietitian to get more information.
If you are looking for natural ways to lower blood pressure, there are a few herbs and supplements that may help. Beta-blockers are one class of medications that can be used to treat hypertension. Beta-blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, which can help to reduce blood pressure. Some natural beta blockers include ginger, garlic, and magnesium.
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Keto And High Blood Pressure: A Science
Keto and High Blood Pressure: A Science-Based Guide
Posted 9 months ago
Is Keto good for high blood pressure? You wont find many articles answering this question. Unless, of course, youre reading scientific journals.
In the literature, there is much data on how low-carb diets affect blood pressure, among other metabolic parameters.
When an obese or overweight person loses weight on Keto, their blood pressure generally improves too.
This doesnt mean that Keto can improve all instances of high blood pressure. But in some cases, it may be part of the solution.
Before we talk more about Keto and high blood pressure, lets cover some basics.
What Are The Dangers Of The Keto Diet
If you are on diabetic medication that causes low blood sugar, those meds may need to be adjusted within a few days, Condon said. There are heart-healthy sources of fat, however if that person is not educated on heart-healthy sources of fat, they may consume excessive amounts of saturated fats that can increase your risk of heart disease, Condon said.
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Lower Your Salt Intake To Balance Your Sodium/potassium Ratio
The ratio of sodium and potassium in your body is a crucial factor in blood pressure control. When you retain too much sodium your fluid levels rise, increasing the volume of blood in your blood vessels and leading to hypertension.
To maintain this delicate balance you need to increase high potassium foods while limiting foods that contain excess sodium.
Many heavily processed foods are full of sodium for taste and preservation purposes. Focusing on a diet full of whole food options like fresh meat and vegetables will help shift this balance.
Some foods with a high potassium content include spinach, swiss chard, avocado, salmon, radishes, whey protein, and turkey.
Medications And Early Ketosis
Even though I personally believe in the power of ketogenic diets to improve and even reverse many chronic illnesses, from diabetes to chronic fatigue to mood disorders, the diet does this by causing very real shifts in body chemistry that can have a major impact on medication dosages and side effects, especially during the first few weeks.
Examples of problematic situations include sudden drops in blood pressure for those on blood pressure medications , and sudden drops in blood sugar for those on diabetes medications . These changes in blood pressure and blood sugar are very positive and healthy, but the presence of medications can artificially intensify these effects and cause extreme and sometimes dangerous reactions unless your dosage is carefully monitored by you and your clinician in the first month or so.
Another important example of a medicine that would require careful monitoring is Lithium, an antidepressant and mood stabilizing medicine. The ketogenic diet causes the body to let go of excess water during the first few days, which can cause Lithium to become more concentrated in the blood, potentially rising to uncomfortable or even toxic levels.
These are just a few important examples, so regardless of what medication you take, please consult with your clinician before getting started. If you are taking lithium or any other psychiatric medication, please read my article: “Ketogenic Diets and Psychiatric Medications.”
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Why Is Your Blood Pressure High On Keto
If you are on a keto diet and your blood pressure remains high, then there could be a wide range of underlying causes. The major ones will include:
- What you eat: If you discover that your keto diet continues to impair a healthy cholesterol level, you may have to adjust what you eat. First, you need to replace your intake of saturated fats with sources that have been minimally processed, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Doing this will have a significant effect on lowering the levels of bad cholesterol in your body.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and NCBI recommends that to limit your intake of saturated fats, you need to restrict foods such as cuts of red meat containing fat, butter, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee, dark chocolates, and heavy cream. Instead, replace them with keto-friendly foods like monounsaturated fats extra virgin oil, duck fat, avocado oil proteins seafood, fish, poultry, and eggs full-fat cheese, high-fat fruits olives and avocadoes nuts and seeds brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, chia seeds, and flaxseeds. You can also boost your ketones by consuming MCT oil.
- Family History/Lifestyle: Some families are more prone to high blood pressure due to their hormonal constitution. They are often predisposed to inflammatory conditions. Lifestyle issues such as excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, and poor sleeping patterns can also mitigate the keto diets efforts to reduce high blood pressure.
Where Did The Story Come From
The study was carried out by researchers from Augusta University in the US.
It was funded by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulation Physiology. It’s free to read online.
While the Mail Online does a reasonable job of explaining the study in rats, the problem is the way it compares it to a particular type of weight loss diet in humans.
It’s not the same, and rats are very different from people. So saying that a high-fat diet raises blood pressure “in just weeks” is irrelevant.
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Is A Ketogenic Diet Safe Before You Try This At Home
First and foremost, if you pick up a copy of Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman’s excellent new book, Keto Clarity and feel inspired to immediately embark on a ketogenic diet, I would caution anyone with a serious chronic health problem, especially anyone who is taking prescription medications, not to attempt a ketogenic diet on his/her own without medical supervision.
Insulin And Blood Vessels
In addition to affecting the blood, insulin also compromises healthy function of blood vessels. Think of your blood vessels as thin rubber tubes through which your blood flows. The vessels are supposed to be soft and pliant, and able to expand and contract to accommodate greater or lesser blood flow. Elevated insulin stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which causes blood vessels to constrict. When blood flows through vessels that are constricted rather than soft and accommodating, the pressure goes up. Nitric oxide is a compound that helps blood vessels dilate and expand to let blood flow through smoothly. When insulin is high, though, this vasodilation is impaired, and it might be especially impaired in people with type 2 diabetes.
Insulin also appears to stimulate cell growth within the blood vessels. Vessels that are thickened from excess growth may not function as well as healthier blood vessels, and they may be narrower too, both of which could result in higher blood pressure.
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What Is A Healthy Blood Pressure
According to the American Heart Association , the standard human blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. Healthy blood pressure is typically below these numbers. People with a systolic blood pressure between 120-139 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure between 80-90 mm Hg typically have a condition called prehypertension.
If left unchecked, this can progress to hypertension, a condition in which blood pressure is consistently over 140/90 mm Hg. Over time, this can lead to a variety of clinical complications.
According to an evaluation by research scientists in the Journal of American Medicine, hypertension is the most common condition seen in primary care and leads to myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, and death if not detected early and treated appropriately.
A recent intervention study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on almost 10,000 participants lasting 3.25 years underscored the importance of a healthy blood pressure. Their data showed participants who had successfully lowered their systolic blood pressure below 120 mm Hg had a 21% lower chance of death compared to participants who kept their systolic blood pressure between 121 mm Hg to 140 mm Hg.
Is Keto Good For High Blood Pressure
As keto promotes weight loss, it tends to intervene with metabolic syndrome, triglyceride levels, blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure.
Its thought to be especially beneficial for people with obesity and diabetes.
Keto promotes weight loss by forcing your body to burn fat instead of carbs. When you cut carbs , you run out of fuel from glucose stores. So, your body starts to break down fat for energy. This is known as ketosis, and its what helps you drop fat.
It also helps you lose weight with appetite suppression, increased energy, and lower insulin levels. The combination of these potential factors can contribute to combating hypertension.
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Leg Muscles May Cramp
In ketosis, some people may experience leg cramps. These can be painful, and they can be a sign that you need to drink more water.
Leg cramps in ketosis usually stem from dehydration and loss of minerals. This is because ketosis causes a reduction in water weight.
Glycogen, the storage form of glucose in muscles and liver, binds water.
This gets flushed out when you reduce carb intake. Its one of the main reasons why people lose weight rapidly in the first week of a very low carb diet.
Its important to continue to drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of dehydration, changes in electrolyte balance, and kidney problems .
Summary: Some people may experience muscle cramps in ketosis. Loss of water and minerals increases your risk of leg cramps.
Dietary changes can sometimes lead to digestive issues.
This is also true for ketogenic diets, and constipation is a common side effect in the beginning (
This is most commonly due to not eating enough fiber and not drinking enough fluids.
Some people may also get diarrhea, but its less common.
If the switch to a keto diet dramatically changes the way you eat, youre more likely to have digestive symptoms.
Nevertheless, digestive issues are usually over within a few weeks.
Summary: Constipation is a very common side effect of ketosis. Diarrhea may also occur in some people.
Ketogenic Diet: Better Than A Pill For Lowering Blood Pressure
Most studies showing the ketogenic diets impact on blood pressure stack it up against lower fat alternatives. A team of research scientists headed by Doctor William S. Yancy decided to add another variable in the mix: the drug Orlistat.
Multiple clinical trials indicate that regularly taking Orlistat leads to a modest, additional weight-loss of 2-3 kilogram per year.
In their 2010 study, this team recruited 146 overweight/obese patients from the Department of Veterans Affairs primary clinic in North Carolina for a 48 week-long trial. These subjects had an average age of 52 years, 72% were men, and 32% had diabetes mellitus . About 30% had hypertension.
The researchers randomly assigned them to one of two intervention groups. The first group of 72, called the low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet group, consumed an average of 40-60 grams of carbohydrates per day and were asked to maintain a 500-1000 kilocalorie deficit of energy per day.
The second group of 74 consumed a low-fat diet with 30% of energy or less from fat and the same calorie deficit. Additionally, they took three 120 mg of Orlistat per day. They were designated as the Orlistat + low-fat group.
To compare the effectiveness of each intervention, the researchers measured key metabolic parameters including blood pressure and body weight. All subjects were asked to exercise on their own for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week and asked to drink six to eight glasses of fluids daily.
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What’s The Difference Between Ketosis And Diabetes
Ketosis and diabetes-related ketoacidosis are two very different things. During ketosis, you have ketones in your blood but not enough to turn your blood acidic. It usually happens if youre fasting or following a low-carbohydrate diet. Ketosis isn’t harmful.
DKA is a condition that affects people with diabetes and people with undiagnosed diabetes. It happens when your blood turns acidic because it has too many ketones due to a lack of insulin. Diabetes-related ketoacidosis is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. The keto diet has many possible benefits. These include potential weight loss, increased energy and treating chronic illness. However, the diet can be difficult to follow and can produce side effects including keto breath and constipation. If youre interested in the health benefits of ketosis, ask your provider if the diet may be right for you.
Is Keto Safe If You Have Diabetes
That depends on the type of diabetes you have. In general, people with type 2 who are overweight seem to get good results safely. If you have type 1 and want to try the keto diet, itâs essential that you talk to your doctor first. Youâll need to carefully monitor your health and watch for signs of ketoacidosis. For either type, itâs a good idea to work closely with your doctor, since you may need to change your medications.
The keto diet has some side effects that are worth knowing about, too:
Hypoglycemia: Though the diet can lower A1c levels, that may mean youâre at a higher risk of blood sugar that dips too low, especially if youâre also taking medicine for your diabetes. Let your doctor or diabetes educator know if you try the keto diet. They can advise you about checking your blood sugar, taking your medicines, and what to do when your blood sugar drops too low.
Lack of nutrients: Since many foods are off-limits, including some fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, you could miss out on the important nutrients youâd get from them. Work with a nutritionist familiar with nutritional ketosis to make sure your body gets what it needs.
Liver and kidney problems: These organs help your body process fat and protein. Some experts worry that the keto diet could overwork them. Others say that if your organs are healthy, youâre probably fine.
Constipation: Since youâre not eating foods like whole grains and beans, you could miss key sources of fiber.
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