Low Carbohydrate Diet Lowers Blood Pressure

Low Carb! Low Fat! Low Carb! Low Fat! .... the debate continues. A recent randomized trial in the Archives of Internal Medicine examines the differences in weight loss between a diet low in carbohydrates versus one low in fat with the addition of Orlistat.

146 overweight or obese patients (mean age 52 and BMI 39.3) from the VA in Durham, North Carolina were randomized to either a diet low in carbohydrates or a diet low in fat plus Orlistat 120 mg three times a day. The patients were followed for 48 weeks and the main outcome meaures were body weight, blood pressure, fasting lipid and glycemic parameters.

Patients on the low carbohydrate diet had similar improvements to the low fat plus Orlistat group in body weight, lipid and glycemic parameters. But, compared to the low fat / Orlistat group, the low carbohydrate group had statistically significant improvement in systolic (-5.9 vs. 1.5 mmHg) and diastolic (-4.5 vs. 0.4 mmHg) blood pressure (both P <0.001).