Does a primal diet lower high blood pressure? page

[Sunnivara]

In the success stories forum I've read many posts where people have reduced their high blood pressure, or even gotten off medications altogether, after going primal. I just wondered if this has anything to do with the primal diet itself, or if it's just the natural result of weight loss, since weight loss by any method usually results in improved blood pressure. Can the primal diet improve blood pressure before significant weight loss?

[activia]

Absolutely.

[paleo-bunny]

Yes, I believe that excess carbs, especially sugar, and not excess fat is the major cause of high blood pressure in the developed world.

Because excess carbs are converted to triglycerides which raise blood pressure.

Weight loss is not the agent.

[Finnegans Wake]

It's a combination of things, including weight loss, better insulin sensitivity, lower levels of chronic inflammation, etc.

That's why primal is superior to simply losing weight per se, because it is an approach that guides you towards better overall health and not just a number. Many symptoms of approaching diabesity have a common field, and there is not a single causal pathway; weight control and overall health is more complicated than that. Be patient with your BP and give the PB time to work. For some it might take only a few weeks, others months.

[tim_1522]

Sadly, so far I have not seen that Primal Diet (or Fitness) has really helped my HBP. This is just n=1 stuff and I've really only been doing it about a year (and in that time I've been a little bit off and on) AND I have family history with HBP, so it may just be something for me that no amount diet/weight control/exercise/lifestyle/etc. is going to help me...

[namelesswonder]

My cholesterol has not improved much, but it's not really dangerous (all my ratios are good) and my blood pressure has improved a bit from what I recall, but I don't have specific numbers.

[activia]

Sadly, so far I have not seen that Primal Diet (or Fitness) has really helped my HBP. This is just n=1 stuff and I've really only been doing it about a year (and in that time I've been a little bit off and on) AND I have family history with HBP, so it may just be something for me that no amount diet/weight control/exercise/lifestyle/etc. is going to help me...

How is your sleep? I know some people that were not sleeping good (they had a sleep study) and got on one of those machines to sleep and their blood pressure dropped immediately. You may need to look at other things besides diet.

[denasqu]

I watched Sugar: The Bitter Truth the other night and remember a part about how all the insulin and sugar that gets trapped in our bloodstream during a SAD raises blood pressure just by it's volume.

[paleo-bunny]

I watched Sugar: The Bitter Truth the other night and remember a part about how all the insulin and sugar that gets trapped in our bloodstream during a SAD raises blood pressure just by it's volume.

I had low blood pressure when my BMI was 34. I'd eaten low sugar for about 14 years.

My blood pressure started to go up as I lost weight. It's back at the same level now (around 110/65) with BMI 28.something. I'm not prepared to eat sugar just to raise my blood pressure.

[whitebear]

A lot of people begin some kind of exercise when they start PB. I've always heard that exercise is the best way to naturally lower blood pressure so maybe that has something to do with it.