Is there a link between high blood pressure and carbohydrate intake, even when you are not overweight? Can you have fatty liver and not appear to be fat – yes to both.
Can you have high blood pressure and not be classed as overweight – yes to that too.
Can these really all be linked? You bet.
And it is not actually a secret – there have been many research papers and recommendations published, but for some reason (not for me to speculate why) it seems to be a bit hidden away.
A presentation done at the Royal College of General Practitioners in London explains that salt being assumed as the major cause of high blood pressure – looks to be quite wrong. What actually is happening is that a big reduction in carbohydrate intake has a far more positive effect on lowering blood pressure than just cutting out salt.
According to the information presented, people with Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance have more difficulty getting rid of excess salt from the body due to insulin causing the kidneys to hang onto the salt (rather than salt being the cause) – pushing up blood pressure. Dramatically cutting carbs from the diet leads to increased levels of urination as the body works to get the excess salt out – which is what it is supposed to do. The doctor on the presentation said one of the first things his patients notice on a low carb diet is increased urination.
If you have high blood pressure maybe you actually need to look at your carb intake more closely.
And if you have high blood pressure – you need to address this and NOT ignore it.