Keto Diet and High Blood Pressure

Keto Diet and High Blood Pressure

What is Keto or Ketogenic Diet, How Ketones are Produced, Its Functions

A Keto diet or Ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate diet which effectively reduces body fat. Many people experience this using low carb diet to reduce their body weight. Ketogenic diet produce body fueling molecules called ketones. Ketones can be used by the body when the body has short supply of sugar. The ketones can be produced in the body by using very low carbs and moderate portion of protein. The liver of the body convert fat into ketones which primarily serve as a source of energy throughout the body and especially for the brain.

What Happens When you Start Ketogenic Diet

Our brains need a lot of energy every day and fat cannot be used as the only source for normal body and brain function. Our body only accepts glucose or ketones. During ketogenic diet our body switches to the fuel supply which comes from fat. Our body fat burn more easily when there is low insulin in our body. Ketogenic diet is beneficial for those people who have a blood pressure problem. One of the main reasons of high blood pressure is obesity or over-weight. In Poland one of the studies showed that 80 percent of high blood pressure problem in people is due to obesity or over-weight. One of the doctor from Poland mentioned that the people who reduce their weight could have a 50 percent chance to reverse their blood pressure without using any medicine or medical treatments. Ketogenic diet is an effective method to lose body weight. Study of the British Journal of Nutrition reveled that people who follow low carbohydrate ketogenic diet lost weight effectively as compared to those who used low-fat diet for weight loss.

What is blood pressure?

As the name suggests, it is pressure exerted by the blood in the blood vessels. It can be a combination of diastolic and systolic pressure. A normal blood pressure is experienced when one has a normal amount of blood, healthy blood vessels, and a healthy heart. Low blood pressure causes dizziness especially when you stand while you have been seating. Low blood pressure could be a result of salt deficiency or dehydration.

High blood pressure is caused by a long-term force and high flow of the blood against the blood arteries causing stress to the heart. It can also cause vision loss, heart failure, and artery damage. High blood pressure can increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. High blood pressure could be a result of high salt levels, smoking, alcohol, and emotional stress.

How Ketogenic Diet Help Hypertension Patients

Ketogenic diet can be used to manipulate high blood pressure indirectly. Ketogenic diet is not a medicine which will abruptly control or reduce your blood pressure. However, ketogenic diet can help to reduce high blood pressure indirectly such by reducing body weight and obesity which ultimately reduce high blood pressure. Ketogenic diet in combination with use of low salt and mild exercise can help in reduce high blood pressure. Doctor Peter from Poland added that it is not the ketone bodies which help reduce high blood pressure, rather it’s the weight loss.

How Ketogenic Diet Work to Reduce High Blood pressure.

A ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet. The body is not dealing with the production of much glucose or trying to wear itself thin to produce enough insulin so that it can combat more production of glucose. When sugar molecules pave their way into the bloodstream, they attach themselves to the chorestral and protein. This in turn create a plague. In this case the higher your blood sugar will be the higher the chances of the blood pressure will spike. A ketogenic diet when taken will help you in eliminating the constant supply of blood sugars. Indeed, this will allow better flow of your blood in arteries thus improving your level of the blood pressure.

Is Ketogenic Diet Better Than a Pill in Lowering the Blood Pressure?

A study shows that people who were on ketogenic diet experienced a decrease in high blood pressure. A researcher by the name William s. Yancy of Duke University reported that people who suffer from high blood pressure should use ketogenic food which is the better option to reduce the levels. He also reported that ketogenic diet sometimes worked more effectively than the orlistat drug in reducing the blood pressure.

It is highly recommended that before following keto diet, you must consult your doctor, dietitian or nutritionist first before making any harsh changes in your diet.