I first started intermittent fasting in 2019 with the aim to burn my belly fat.
After studying and mastering it in 2020, I found out that it was also reducing my blood pressure.
How intermittent fasting works for hypertension can be surprising…
Most people practice fasting primarily for weight loss.
But intermittent fasting also helps with controlling blood pressure blood sugar and other health benefits.
In this article, I will share how intermittent fasting works for hypertension and research studies to support my points.
Let’s dive in.
How Intermittent Fasting Works For Hypertension
Intermittent fasting reduces blood pressure via a couple of mechanisms. Here are some of the ways fasting decreases blood pressure.
Stimulation of fat burning
Intermittent fasting causes fat burning which ultimately helps to decrease blood pressure.
One of the mechanisms that lead to the development of high blood pressure is the deposition and accumulation of fats in the blood vessels.
These fatty deposits thicken the blood vessels, increases the resistance to blood flow, and gradually raise the blood pressure.
The blockage of the blood vessels by fat is similar to water passing through a fairly blocked pipe.
The water needs more pressure to pass through the partially blocked pipe. Similarly, the blood in the human body needs more pressure for blood to flow through a fat-blocked blood vessel.
When you practice intermittent fasting correctly, it stimulates fat burning, which also inevitably reduces the blood cholesterol level in the body.
Researchers at the department of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, conducted a 10hr time-restricted eating study on participants with metabolic diseases.
Researchers instructed the participants to use a mobile app to log when and what they ate during an initial two-week baseline period followed by a daily three months of 10-hour time-restricted eating.
During the eating window, participants could decide what time to eat and the quantity as long as all food consumption occurred within a 10-hour window.
At the end of the 12 weeks, the researchers reviewed participants and found the following:
● an average of 3% reduction in weight and body mass index (BMI) and a 4% reduction in abdominal/visceral fat.
● improved insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control as evidenced by a 3.7% increase in HbA1C.
● reductions in blood cholesterol level and blood pressure values.
Hence, intermittent fasting can help to reduce fat deposits and accumulation, which gradually reduces blood pressure.
Read more about how to succeed with intermittent fasting
Reduction of insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition in which the tissues become less sensitive and responsive to insulin. Consequently, the blood level of insulin continues to rise to compensate for this tissue resistance. As insulin rises, fat storage and deposition in the blood vessels increase.
Gradually the blood pressure increases as the fat deposits narrow the blood vessels. With fasting, insulin spikes drop and fat burning is activated, which decreases the risk of insulin resistance.
Intermittent fasting increases water and salt loss
Insulin helps to retain body salt, and carbohydrates absorb water. These two mechanisms increase blood volume and inevitably raise blood pressure. However, during fasting, there is a drop in insulin levels and carbohydrate intake.
The indirect reduction in carbohydrate intake increases water loss, and insulin drop promotes the excretion of salt and water in the urine.
The combination of these two factors reduces the blood volume.
Intermittent fasting alters the gut microbiota
The human intestine or gut is made up of a mixture of healthy(or good) and unhealthy(or bad) micro-organisms called microbiota. The microbiota is a huge colony of bacteria species that affect the function of the human intestine.
Ideally, a healthy intestine should have a balance between the good and bad bacteria, but it is almost impossible due to the food we eat.
Good bacteria thrive on high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables, while junk foods increase the population of bad ones.
You and I know how hard it is to eat healthy…with the fast food stores around us.
But when you practice fasting correctly, you are resting your intestine and starving the bad bacteria. The absence of unhealthy foods reduces the population of bad bacteria and improves those of the good bacteria. Scientists describe this as the remodeling of the intestinal microbiota.
Using animal studies, a team of scientists at Baylor College of Medicine found that intermittent fasting can reduce blood pressure in mice that fasted.
Scientists suspect that good bacteria secrete chemicals that activate receptors in the blood vessels which causes them to relax and reduce blood pressure.
This finding demonstrates that intermittent fasting can potentially reduce the blood pressure by altering the gut microbiota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can intermittent fasting cause high blood pressure?
Intermittent fasting can cause high blood pressure in some people if practiced incorrectly. Intermittent fasting should be started gradually and people should be flexible with their eating window to reduce the release of stress hormones-the trigger for high blood pressure.
Does intermittent fasting decrease blood pressure?
Yes, several studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting can reduce blood pressure via different mechanisms. It can increase salt and water loss and alter gut microbiota, etc. The combination of these mechanisms leads to a gradual decline in blood pressure.
How does intermittent fasting lower blood pressure?
Intermittent fasting can reduce blood pressure by increasing the salt and water excretion in the kidney, induce fat burning, reduce insulin resistance, and alter the gut microbiota.
Does intermittent fasting affect blood pressure?
Intermittent fasting can affect blood pressure by either reducing or increasing it. It depends on how it was practiced.
Do you practice intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a powerful way to eat, but most people don’t practice it correctly.
So they whine and argue that it’s not effective.
If you just getting started with intermittent fasting, I share in my ebook(Healthy Habits and Eating Behaviors to Manage Lifestyle diseases) on how you can get started easily.
Also, if you are interested in learning for free how to sustain intermittent fasting,
Click here to download my short report on intermittent fasting beginner tips.
Feel free to leave your comment below if you have any questions.
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As always…Own your health daily.
