I have read that low carb lifestyles can reduce blood pressure, this is something i wonder about because my boyfriend has been on blood pressure medication for years- yet his blood pressure remains high. The thing is, he is already thin and I fear that if he goes on a low carb plan, he will drop too much weight. any suggestions or advice? it would be wonderful if we could control his blood pressure and get him off atleast some of these pills!

anybody have any knowledge of blood pressure and low carb?

I think the blood pressure connection to low carb diets applies to those folks whose blood pressure issues are weight related. LC helps folks loose weight and therefore their blood sugar, blood pressure etc improves.

hmmmm....
ok, although i know one of his doctors mentioned to him that he should increase his protein intake- and that somehow could help. I really thought there was more to it than that... Thanks!

Hi, I had high BP for years.. when I was 150lbs it was still borderline (140/80).. I lost only 9 lbs on induction but my bp dropped to the normal range in those 2 weeks! (it had been fluctuating between 197/103 to 169/98)

I think its to do with the white stuff - pots, flour, sugar etc, nowadays to my docs amazement it is usually in the 130/80 range (twice had it at 123/75 !! lowest in years!)

I read somewhere that eating oatmeal and bran muffins will drop bp like a rock (I did add these products after induction for a few weeks) so try that for your bf.

Lots of whole grain cereals, muffins etc.

Before LC, I was borderline to needing meds. Shortly in I was down to 140/80 something range, and now after a year and a half, I usually read in the 110/70 range.
My Mom (it runs in the family) was on meds for blood pressure, and even then was 140-150/90's. She is now cutting the meds out slowly, and still getting readings in the 120/80 range. She didn't have that much weight to lose, compared to me. Same for her SO, who went from horrible BP and cholesterol to blowing away his Doc with his results.

yeah- he does love his white bread- but i do the shopping, so if id ont buy it- he cant eat it- thanks for the pointers.

If carbs are keeping it high, not weight, then LCing WILL help. It can't hurt, especially if he does NOT do the lowest level of Induction. That could drop the BP too much when done along with the meds.

See if he will do a week eating more protein (good idea from that doctor) and salad and vegetables but NO SUGAR, STARCH or refined grains (= white bread). That would amount to Maintenance since weight loss is not his goal.

It's worth trying.

thanks- i was thinking along the same lines- eating only good carbs and whole grains in moderation and lots more protein. Its funny because he thinks he eats healthy yet he munches on doritos almost everyday! I have to stop buying those for him- the salt in those cant be doing him any good either.

it would be good if he could watch his consumption of salt too becuase it contributes to high blood pressure.

Did you ever think about supplementing with certain vitamins and minerals ? for examply essential fatty acids/flaxseed oil, Hawthorn berries and garlic (to reduce cholestrol) it might help as well

this is an old thread so i'm not sure if you'll see this? i myself have had high blood pressure for 2-3 years. usually around 140/90, but sometimes it crept much higher. i was on meds for 1 1/2 years, losing some weight, exercising a lot more, and it was still high. they tried to switch meds, but those made me extremely ill, out of desperation i cut out all of my salt, switching to nu-salt (a sodium free alternative) within a week my blood pressure began to hover around 110/70! it's stayed around there for almost 6months now, no meds.
so yeah, salt can sometimes be the problem, just thought i'd share that.

Okay, first of all I don't follow atkins,south beach or any other ridiuculous fad diets because I have never been overweight for the most part. I also had a blood test to measure chemistry. Everything was damn normal. My question is if pressure is up at 145/95 on avg. and sky rocketed to 188/106 and again 190/120 three days later is there a way to get off meds once and for all. I believe that I drank way too much caffiene. Okay, I abused it badly for the past fifteen years. I had normal pressure in 96 when I was twenty five at 123/80. Okay, I read the post about 115 but that is b.s. or otherwise more people would already have died. I was swimming two miles a day in 97 and was fine. I still exercise or did till this happened. Now I have dizzy side effects and must wait. I can still walk a mile a day, changed diet to celery,carrots,oranges,lemons,breast chicken and salmon plus tunafish on wheat with no mayo. It has been 40 days since my last beer and cup of coffee or any ginseng products. I also had started taking hgh for three weeks. It was during this period that I had dizzy spells three different times and finally the massive one that sent me to er. My question is this, If I have had bad insomnia for the past 7 years and have abused caffiene like 5 cups a day on avg, can I reverse this in the next two years? I must look to resolve my insomnia. Is there anyone who can tell me what chance I have? I am currently on micardis and a water pill or diretic known as hydrochlorazide. I heard it isn't good to take it for weight reasons which I have noticed. I will quit the damn thing myself if I feel it is worthless. I will of course monitor myself to make sure it doesn't affect me negatively. The statement you have regular high blood pressure doesn't do it for me. I want someway to stop the meds one day and be normal again. I already started the oatmeal thing for the past ten days. O.k. somebody say something. My doctor can't figure it out and if you saw me, you would think I was joking. I don't look like I would have it except that I am hyper all the time. Bye, John

I think there is a very good chance you can reverse your condition. Just because you are not overweight doesn't mean the condition can't be diet related.

Suggestions
1. Cut the level of processed foods and salt in your diet.
2. Take 200 mcg of GTF chromium three times a day.
3. Take a good multivitamin that requires 2 pills for the dose and take one morning and one afternoon.
4. Get your vitamin D levels tested. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to high blood pressure and insomnia. Certain ethic backgrounds (African American, Northern European, Native American, etc.,) are naturally vitamin D deficient and you said your hbp was hereditary. The test is 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Optimal values of 25(OH)D are 40-50 ng/ml. Acceptable values of 25(OH)D are 35-55 ng/ml.
Insominia
Chamomile tea 1/2 hour before bed.

Hope this helps.

Low carb naturally lowers BP in many people. So does weight loss. Salt intake from processed foods should be watched carefully, since sometimes the servings are much smaller than you think. It's very easy to eat more than a serving of a food....and when it's high in salt to begin with, it can end up being a big dose!

Exercise and weight loss are probably the best thigns to lower blood pressure. How you loose weight, LC or LF or whatever isn't as important as sticking to it. If you've tried one and have trouble sticking with it, try another. Eating "celery,carrots,oranges,lemons,breast chicken and salmon plus tunafish on wheat with no mayo. " Doesn't sound healthy to me.

Cardiovascular exercise is very important for BP. Depending on your body type you can handle higher blood pressures.....but too high is too high.

Commonly, "High Blood Pressure" is defined as consistenly over 140/90.

"It is estimated that there are nearly 50 million hypertensives in the USA (systolic BP >= 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic >= 90 mm Hg, or taking antihypertensive medication)." From The Merck Manual

The danger with high blood pressure is long term damage. Some people are sensitive to high BP and have headaches, but most that claim they do actually don't show any elevation with headaches. It's called the silent killer for a reason.

Medication is essential unless and until lifestyle changes reduce it naturally. Most bp meds have side effects, but there are so many on the market that it's usually pretty easy to find one that works and doens't bother you. If you're having side effects you should ask for another med. Don't stop it if your numbers are still elevated.

If you tend to be hyper, anxious, and/or a "Type A" personality or have a lot of stress in your life you might consider some type of relaxation measures. Lie down with your favorite music playing and relax. Try to think of nothing. Try Yoga and meditation! Get a massage! Stress absolutely contributes to higher blood pressure....and taking measures to reduce the stress or at least minimalize it's effects can help lower BP....and contribute to sleep.

Here's a sleep exercise I use sometimes:
Lie down in a comfy position. All set for bed....doors locked, dog in it's crate, lights, TV, radio turned off or down....get in a comfy position to fall asleep.
Now....starting at your toes, consiously relax your body parts....first your toes/feet....then your lower legs/calves....then your upper legs, hips, etc....if necessary tighten and then relax the muscles of the body part and will yourself to relax more and more as you move up your body. Take your time....by the time you get to your head you should be alseep....if not, keep taking deep breaths and relax some more.

Hope some of this helps!

For many people hypertension is about FLUID RETENTION. The more fluid your body retains, the more pressure is exerted inside the arteries by the increased volume of blood. Think of a garden hose...if the water at the tap is turned on low, the pressure against the wall of the hose is slight; if the water at the tap is turned on high, the pressure against the wall of the hose is much higher. In fact, if you have an old worn out garden hose, it may even begin to bulge at weak places when there is lots of pressure. Hence, strokes.

Your arteries work the same way. The can only handle so much pressure. The key, then, is to decrease overall blood volume. That's why many with hypertension are given HCTZ (diuretic) to rid their systems of extra fluid. It's also why many are advised to decrease sodium intake to lessen fluid retention. (Sodium and H2O always go together in the body.

So, how does LC decrease blood pressure? Remember how much you PEEEEEED during that first week of strict induction? Your body was getting rid of the extra fluid it had stored in order to process all those useless carbs you'd been ingesting over the years. Ironically, drinking lots and lots of water encourages your body to get rid of stored fluids (once your body "knows" it's getting a steady supply of fresh H2O, it no longer needs to hoard those fluids it doesn't need!) in addition to assisting your liver to process fats and burn them efficiently.

So, if your boyfriend's BP is high you can encourage him to push fluids. LOADS of H2O. If he's willing to experiment a bit, ask him to follow a strict induction program for 2 weeks and have his BP checked afterward. I think you will see a significant decrease, particularly since he is not already overweight. He will have to consume lots of protein/fat calories, though, to get adequate calories to discourage weight loss. He will lose some, though, in the way of fluids.

WARNING: He needs to watch for his BP getting too low on Induction. Dizziness, especially when standing up from a seated or lying position could indicate his BP is getting too low and that his meds should be adjusted accordingly. If he has symptoms of hypotension, he should probably see his doctor.

Let us know...