The Atkins diet is a low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet that recommends restricting your carbohydrate intake to between 20 and 100 g a day, although your carbohydrate intake needs to be individualized according to your own carbohydrate tolerance. The Atkins diet constitutes an effective alternative to low-fat and low-calorie diet not only to facilitate weight loss, but also to improve markers of your cardiovascular risk profile, including hypertension, or high blood pressure, according to Dr. Eric C. Westman, low-carb researcher and co-author of "The New Atkins for a New You."
High-Carb Diets and Blood Pressure
Most Americans consume a large amount of carbs, which provides roughly half of their daily calories. A meta-analysis comparing high-carb, low-fat diets with low-carb, high-fat diets found that diets with a higher carbohydrate content were associated with higher blood pressure, as published in 2007 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, sugar, pasta, rice and potatoes, led to high insulin levels as well as insulin resistance, both of which would be involved in high blood pressure, according to the "Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney."
Low-Carb Diets and Blood Pressure
Low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet can lower your blood pressure, as demonstrated in a study published in 2010 in "BMC Endocrine Disorders." In this study, participants restricted their daily carbohydrate intake to 75 to 100 g a day, which resulted in significant improvements in their systolic blood pressure, which corresponds to the higher number of your blood pressure measurement, in only four weeks. Dr. Westman explains that blood pressure usually is lowered by following the Atkins diet, especially in peopl with high blood pressure.
Possible Mechanism
Although more studies are needed to better understand how the Atkins diet lowers blood pressure, it is believed that hyperinsulinemia, or high insulin levels, and insulin resistance have a big role to play. Insulin is released in response to the consumption of carbohydrates, which means that following a low-carb diet would result in lower insulin levels, which are in turn associated with lower blood pressure. Moreover, low-carb diets have a diuretic effect that helps you get rid of some of the unnecessary water in your body, which also contributes to decreasing blood pressure.
Special Considerations
If you have high blood pressure and are thinking about going on the Atkins diet, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes such as restricting your carbohydrate intake. The diuretic effect of the Atkins diet can quickly lower your blood pressure in the first few days or weeks of changing your dietary habits and might require quick adjustments to your medications, which should be made with your doctor's help.
References
- "Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney"; Chapter 5 -- Insulin Resistance and Hypertension; Theodore A. Kotchen; 1999
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effect of High-Carbohydrate or High-Cis-Monounsaturated Fat Diets on Blood Pressure: a Meta-Analysis of Intervention Trials; Meena Shah, et al.; 2007
- "Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology"; Hyperinsulinemic Diseases of Civilization: More Than Just Syndrome X; Loren Cordain, et al.; 2003
- "BMC Endocrine Disorders"; Short Term Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet in Overweight and Obese Subjects With Low HDL-C Levels; Ahmet Selçuk Can, et al.; 2010
- "The New Atkins for a New You"; Eric C. Westman, et al.; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: High Blood Pressure
