Keto Diet: Effective Strategy For Lowering High Blood Pressure?

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can help people lose weight and improve their health. When you follow this type of diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, which means that it starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process can lead to weight loss and improved health.

Obesity is a leading cause of hypertension (high blood pressure). Therefore, by helping people lose weight, the keto diet can also help lower blood pressure. In addition, when you are in a state of ketosis, your body releases less insulin, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve blood pressure.

Several studies suggest that a keto diet may help treat or prevent hypertension. For example, in a study comparing keto to three other diets (the Zone diet, the LEARN diet, and the Ornish Diet), those eating keto saw twice as much improvement in systolic blood pressure. In another study, blood pressure rose in the low-fat and Orlistat group, while the keto group improved.

However, there are some potential risks to consider. For instance, a dirty keto diet may be short on potassium, which is necessary to counter the high sodium load from salty processed meat. Too much sodium without enough potassium will raise blood pressure. Additionally, too little sodium can also raise blood pressure, as low-carb diets increase urinary sodium loss.

If you have high blood pressure and want to try the keto diet, it is important to speak with your doctor first.

Keto can help lower blood pressure by fighting hypertension risk factors like obesity and diabetes

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can help people lose weight and improve their health. When you follow this type of diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, which means that it starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process can lead to weight loss and improved health.

How Keto May Help With High Blood Pressure

When an obese person loses weight, other metabolic markers tend to improve too. That includes inflammation, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood glucose, insulin function, and—relevant here—blood pressure.

Keto can be an effective weight loss diet, especially in obese people and people with diabetes. The literature is robust on this point.

The mechanisms by which Keto may promote fat loss include:

• Appetite suppression (people tend to eat less on Keto)
• Increased energy burn
• Increased fat burning due to low insulin levels

In a nutshell, that’s how Keto has the potential to help with high blood pressure: By fighting the hypertension risk factors of obesity and diabetes.

A diet high in processed carbohydrates and refined sugars leads to arterial inflammation over time, which can cause an elevation in your blood pressure. It stands to reason that a diet low in carbs and sugars will therefore decrease insulin levels and arterial inflammation.

Studies On Keto for High Blood Pressure

Many studies suggest Keto may help with treating or preventing hypertension. Here are some examples:

Study #1: Keto vs. 3 Other Diets

Overweight premenopausal women had greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood on an Atkins diet (similar rules to Keto—under 20 grams of carbs for two months, then under 50 grams for 10 months) than on the Zone diet (30% carbs), LEARN diet (60% carbs), or Ornish diet (under 10% fat calories). On Keto, average systolic blood pressure fell twice as much as on any other diet.

Study #2: Keto vs Low-fat Diet Plus Meds

Overweight and obese people (30% had hypertension) were split into two groups: low-carb and low-fat plus Orlistat. (Orlistat is a drug prescribed for weight loss and high blood pressure). Results? Blood pressure fell in the Keto group but rose in the low-fat plus Orlistat group. This result lines up with observational research linking low-fat diets to metabolic syndrome.

Study #3: Mediterranean Keto

Forty obese people were put on a Spanish Mediterranean Keto diet (under 30 grams of carbs, olive oil and red wine daily, and vegetables encouraged) for 12 weeks. By the end of the study, the average systolic blood pressure fell from 126 to 109 and the average diastolic from 85 to 75. In other words, the average blood pressure went from “elevated” to “normal.”

Possible Risks of Keto for Blood Pressure

In general, the data suggests that Keto may help lower blood pressure. But there are a few cases where it might not.

For instance, a dirty Keto diet would be short on potassium (from vegetables) to counter the high sodium load from salty processed meat. And too much sodium without enough potassium will raise blood pressure.

Too little sodium can also raise blood pressure. (Low sodium is common on Keto because low-carb diets increase urinary sodium loss.) When you don’t consume enough sodium, your body releases a sodium-retaining, blood-pressure-raising hormone called aldosterone.

Studies suggest that keto may help treat or prevent hypertension

Keto is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can help people lose weight and improve their health. When you follow this type of diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, which means that it starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process can lead to weight loss and improved health.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a well-documented risk factor for both heart attack and stroke. When an obese or overweight person loses weight on keto, their blood pressure generally improves too. This is because when you are in a state of ketosis, your body releases less insulin, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve blood pressure.

Several studies suggest that keto may help treat or prevent hypertension. Here are some examples:

• A study compared keto to three other diets: the Zone diet (30% carbs), the LEARN diet (60% carbs), and the Ornish Diet (10% fat calories). Compared to these other diets, those who were eating keto saw as much as twice the improvement in systolic blood pressure.
• Another study compared keto to a regimen of a low-fat diet and the blood pressure medication treatment Orlistat, a common drug for obesity and high blood pressure. The results? Blood pressure rose in the low-fat and Orlistat group, while the keto group improved.
• A small study showed that people with metabolic syndrome who followed a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks experienced significant reductions in blood pressure, going from an average of 141/89 to 123/76, along with weight loss and other health improvements.
• In one very-low-carb diet study, researchers had to discontinue blood pressure medications in 11% of participants due to reductions in blood pressure.
• A recent report found that a low-carb diet can be more effective in reducing blood pressure than medications designed for weight loss. Those following a low-carb diet were twice as likely to experience reduced blood pressure compared to those taking a weight loss pill.

Keto may not be suitable for those with low blood pressure, as it could lower it dangerously

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can help people lose weight and improve their health. When you follow this type of diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, which means that it starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process can lead to weight loss and improved health.

The keto diet can be beneficial for people with hypertension as it can help to lower blood pressure. This is because when you are in a state of ketosis, your body releases less insulin, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve blood pressure. Additionally, the keto diet can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.

However, keto may not be suitable for those with low blood pressure, as it could lower it dangerously. If you are on blood pressure medication and start a low-carb diet, there is a risk of the diet working too well and causing your blood pressure to drop too low. If you feel symptoms of low blood pressure, such as feeling weak, tired or dizzy, you should immediately check your blood pressure. If it is low (e.g. below 120/80), you should contact your doctor to discuss adjusting your medication.

It is important to note that keto is not suitable for everyone. Those who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not eat a keto diet. Additionally, if you have chronic kidney disease or already have low blood pressure, ketosis could be dangerous for you.

Keto can help control high blood pressure by fixing issues with how the body handles sugar and salt

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can help people lose weight and improve their health. When you follow this type of diet, your body enters a state of ketosis, which means that it starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This process can lead to weight loss and improved health.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition that affects many people. It is often caused by obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, electrolyte imbalances, or genetic factors. The keto diet can be an effective way to lower blood pressure, especially in obese people and people with diabetes. When an obese person loses weight, other metabolic markers such as inflammation, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure tend to improve as well.

The keto diet works by suppressing appetite, increasing energy expenditure, and lowering insulin levels, which causes more fat to be burned. Additionally, a diet high in processed carbohydrates and refined sugars leads to arterial inflammation over time, which can cause an elevation in blood pressure. The keto diet helps to decrease insulin levels and arterial inflammation by reducing the intake of carbohydrates and sugars.

Studies on keto and blood pressure

Several studies have shown that the keto diet may help treat or prevent hypertension. In one study, overweight premenopausal women had greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure on a keto-like diet compared to other diets. Another study compared keto to a low-fat diet plus blood pressure medication and found that blood pressure rose in the low-fat group but fell in the keto group.

Risks and considerations

While the keto diet has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure, there are a few risks to consider. A "dirty keto" diet may be short on potassium, which is necessary to counter the high sodium load from salty processed meat. Too much sodium without enough potassium will raise blood pressure. Additionally, too little sodium can also raise blood pressure, as low-carb diets increase urinary sodium loss. It is important to work with a medical professional to monitor and manage blood pressure and make sure that the keto diet is right for you.

Tips for improving blood pressure

In addition to the keto diet, there are several other lifestyle changes that can help improve blood pressure:

• Regular mild to moderate aerobic exercise
• Getting enough sleep
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Consuming enough sodium and potassium
• Increasing fiber intake

A low-carb diet may be more effective in reducing blood pressure than medications designed for weight loss

Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood against your blood vessel walls. This pressure is influenced by the pumping action of your heart, the volume of your blood, electrolyte levels, your nervous system, and other factors. When you measure your blood pressure, you get two numbers: systolic blood pressure (when your heart beats) and diastolic blood pressure (in between beats). Taken together, these two numbers indicate a person's blood pressure status.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a well-documented risk factor for heart attack and stroke. It is suffered by one-third of Americans. Hypertension also damages the delicate microvessels of the brain, increasing the risk of dementia.

In most cases, researchers aren't sure. That's why most cases of high blood pressure are called "primary hypertension" or "essential hypertension". There's no identifiable cause. But even if the mechanisms aren't entirely clear, hypertension risk factors still exist. And probably the most significant is obesity. When someone is obese, they tend to have higher levels of chronic inflammation, which can cause hormonal disturbances that may elevate blood pressure.

When an obese person loses weight, other metabolic markers tend to improve too. That includes inflammation, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood glucose, insulin function, and—relevant here—blood pressure. Keto can be an effective weight-loss diet, especially in obese people and people with diabetes. The mechanisms by which keto may promote fat loss include appetite suppression (people tend to eat less on keto), increased energy burn, and increased fat burning due to low insulin levels.

A diet high in processed carbohydrates and refined sugars leads to arterial inflammation over time, which can cause an elevation in your blood pressure. It stands to reason that a diet low in carbs and sugars will therefore decrease insulin levels and arterial inflammation.

Studies on keto for high blood pressure

Many studies suggest keto may help with treating or preventing hypertension. Here are a few examples:

• A study of overweight premenopausal women found greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure on an Atkins diet (similar rules to keto) than on the Zone diet (30% carbs), LEARN diet (60% carbs), or Ornish diet (under 10% fat calories). On keto, average systolic blood pressure fell twice as much as on any other diet.
• A study comparing keto to a regimen of a low-fat diet and the blood pressure medication Orlistat found that blood pressure rose in the low-fat and Orlistat group, while the keto group improved.
• A study of 40 obese people put on a Spanish Mediterranean keto diet for 12 weeks found that, by the end of the study, the average systolic blood pressure fell from 126 to 109 and the average diastolic from 85 to 75. In other words, the average blood pressure went from "elevated" to "normal."

Risks of keto for blood pressure

In general, the data suggests that keto may help lower blood pressure. But there are a few cases where it might not. For instance, a dirty keto diet would be short on potassium (from vegetables) to counter the high sodium load from salty processed meat. And too much sodium without enough potassium will raise blood pressure.

Too little sodium can also raise blood pressure. (Low sodium is common on keto because low-carb diets increase urinary sodium loss.) When you don't consume enough sodium, your body releases a sodium-retaining, blood-pressure-raising hormone called aldosterone.

Tips to improve blood pressure

• Exercise. Regular mild to moderate aerobic exercise is well-documented to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.
• Sleep well. Short sleep, insomnia, and other sleep disorders are independent risk factors for high blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight. When obese people lose weight, they typically see improvements in blood pressure.
• Get enough sodium and potassium. Deficiencies in either can elevate blood pressure. In particular, higher potassium intakes are uncontroversially linked to lower hypertension risk. Leafy greens, meats, nuts, and tuna are all rich in potassium.
• Get more fiber. Higher fiber intakes seem to be protective against heart disease, and certain fibers have been shown to lower arterial blood pressure.

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