Your doctor has undoubtedly advised you to monitor your diet if you have hypertension issues once (or twice). Your blood pressure may noticeably be affected by the foods you feed your body. But have you given any thought to the “when”? to consume, for instance.
The concept of regulating when you eat—and when you don’t eat—is what gave rise to the intermittent fasting craze. There is food involved in Intermittent Fasting, despite what the name would suggest. It may come as a bigger shock, but studies have found that intermittent fasting affects blood pressure and other bodily functions.
Blood Pressure During Fasting
Fasting can help people lose weight, manage their diabetes, lower their blood pressure, and lower their cholesterol. These are all heart disorder risk factors. Thus, you may lower your risk by focusing on these four areas via fasting. Fasting can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which raises your risk for cardiac arrhythmias. For this reason, you should always see your doctor before beginning any fast.
The idea that fasting affects blood pressure and likely reduces it is supported by some intriguing studies. In a study with 1422 participants who practiced IF for 4 to 21 days, it was observed that blood pressure was reduced The “rest and digest” state, which is increased during a fast, is thought to lower blood pressure through increasing parasympathetic activity.
However, participants only consumed 200–250 calories each day, which is insufficient to support an average adult. Results are encouraging, although they might not apply to the broader public.
However, another research involving 32 individuals discovered that those who practiced alternate-day fasting experienced lower blood pressure than those who did not fast. On the day they were fasting, they consumed 400–600 calories, but on the other days, they ate whatever they liked.
Could Weight Loss Cause Low Blood Pressure?
We have already noted that lowering blood pressure is one of the common and documented intermittent fasting benefits besides weight loss. The weight-loss benefits of intermittent fasting are also quite substantial.
Does this mean that weight reduction is the cause of why intermittent fasting lowers blood pressure?
A study examined whether weight reduction is influenced by the health advantages of intermittent fasting, such as improved insulin sensitivity and lowered blood pressure.
Men with prediabetes (and hypertension) underwent a five-week experiment using an 18/6 fasting regimen. They had no food for the other 18 hours per day and only ate within a six-hour window each day. However, the study methodology ensured that the probands didn’t lose weight: The calorie intake was raised as soon as the weight began to drop.
Despite the fact that intermittent fasting does not cause weight reduction, it has been surprising to find that it can dramatically decrease blood pressure and enhance other health indicators.
So, regardless of whether you aren’t interested in losing weight, there are still a lot of intermittent fasting health benefits.
The Common Advantages
The advantages of this lifestyle are finally out in the open with strong evidence. According to studies, type 2 diabetics who fast had lower blood pressure and less insulin intolerance. It has a history of keeping the pounds off and can assist with weight loss as well. And if that wasn’t enough, research has also revealed that those who routinely fast had a reduced incidence of heart attacks and a longer average lifespan.
Which Type of Intermittent Fasting is Most Effective at Lowering Blood Pressure?
According to several studies, all three intermittent fasting techniques can successfully lower blood pressure. The 16/8 approach can be the most practical for people with high blood pressure.
According to research that appeared in the International Journal of Obesity Participants, the 16/8 method significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients after 12 weeks. The study also discovered that there was no significant reduction in blood pressure in people who used the 5:2 or alternate-day fasting strategies.
The 16/8 method was shown to be the most efficient at lowering blood pressure in overweight and obese women, according to another research that was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
What Makes the 16/8 Method Effective for Blood Pressure Control?
As the 16/8 method incorporates daily fasting, which can result in regular weight reduction and greater insulin sensitivity, this may be the most successful at lowering blood pressure.
A reduction in blood pressure is linked to both weight loss and increased insulin sensitivity. The 16/8 intermittent fasting effect may also be simpler to maintain over time than other forms of intermittent fasting since it does not need severe calorie restriction or protracted fasting.
Summing Up
The main risk factor for heart disease is hypertension, which may be effectively controlled by intermittent fasting. This again highlights the various advantages of intermittent fasting and its ability to aid in weight loss.
Insulin resistance, which raises the risk of many chronic diseases, is also helped by it.
