Does anyone know if IF affects blood pressure? I’ve heard that improper fasting can lead to blood pressure getting higher (I do not plan on doing it improperly but it’s still a concern of mine), and it’s a fact that people who don’t eat as much get higher blood pressure. There’s even been cases of people found starving with deathly high blood pressure.
I have high blood pressure and have just recently started getting it more normal with exercise and eating healthier. I’m 25, female, and it was a combination of work-related stress, and my old lifestyle where I didn’t exercise or eat well.
I have just started doing 20:4 a couple days ago but am nervous it could bring my blood pressure back up. Or maybe 16:8 is less bad for blood pressure, certain times and windows, etc?
Since starting, my high blood pressure has actually come down to where I have been able to go half on my blood pressure medicine and the doc thinks at my next visit I should be able to completely come off of it, if not sooner. She’s more worried about it going too low with my weight loss rather than it spiking (and trust me, I’ve always run really high) if that helps any. IF has been a godsend for my BP
As always you should discuss significant diet /eating changes with your doctor.
That being said you can still get some of the benifts of intermittent fasting without having to go to 20:4 or even 16:8.
If you are worried about health issues related to changing diet you could try a more gentle 10 hour window. Rules of thumb:
Anecdotally, my blood pressure has gone down since I’ve been doing OMAD for six months. I think that’s usually the case with weight loss.
I haven’t looked for wider-scale studies about blood pressure and IF — worth checking PubMed. I certainly haven’t seen any big reports that IF increases blood pressure, nor have I seen people reporting that in posts here.
Since you have high BP, I would continue to monitor it as you usually do. Get a home monitor if you don’t already have one. Then you can measure, and not have to wonder and worry. If you do notice it going up, you can talk to your doctor about what to do.
No negatives in starting a interval eating program.
But check with you doctor first.
I can’t see a reason for your BP to increase in a 16/8. Even in the first few days when you are fighting hunger pangs, your pressure should not increase.
Dr. Hagan in his “Breakfast” book reported no BP problems in his pilot study group.
Hi, thought I’d share my experience, it has been mostly positive - better sleep, more energy, generally feeling better.
I’m on 16/8 IF for 6 months now. I did it to lower triglycerides and blood pressure. My triglycerides was 190 before starting and went down 60 4 months into IF.
I stick to a low carb diet (lean proteins, black rice, oatmeals, vegetables and fruits), but have some milk coffee, occasional sweets, and electrolyte drinks with a bit of sugar.
My blood pressure is my main worry too. Before IF the range is 130/85 - 140/90. My resting Heart Rate has always been low 55-65.
With IF the low point of my BP improved sometime doings 115/65, and heart rate even better going as low as 49, mostly in the 50s. But my upper BP range remain 145/90. And I get the high end 140/90 more often than before ALMOST every other day in the late evening 9pm onwards.
I also take magnesium supplements which help me move my bowels in the morning. So in the morning before moving my bowels I also get 140/90 readings. But after going to the toilet, this quickly subsides to 120/80.
Before IF I have losartan 100mg with amoldipine 5mg. Since starting IF my cardio doctor told me to go to take half dose of 50/5mg when BP goes over 130/80 which almost always does every day in the evenings. Just worried that 140/90 readings happen much more often than before.
I eat my meals 12noon and 7pm.