Health Benefit of a Low Carb Diet

A long time ago, I discovered how not only eating a diet a low in carbs, but sticking to complex carbs (whole grains, fibrous fruits and vegetables) helped me to lose weight and keep it off.  It’s also much healthier for you than starchy, white flour carbs.

For those of you familiar with me, you know that I am a Natural Health Advocate.  As a natural health advocate, I was thrilled to learn of a recent study by Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center in which they discovered the effectiveness of a Low Carb Diet lowering blood pressure.  We’re not talking prescription meds.  We’re talking about a natural, healthy way to not only lose weight, but lower blood pressure.

In a head-to-head comparison, two popular weight loss methods proved equally effective at helping participants lose significant amounts of weight. But, in a surprising twist, a low-carbohydrate diet proved better at lowering blood pressure than the weight-loss drug Orlistat.

These findings support EVERYTHING Natural Health Advocates have been saying all along.  These findings send an important message to hypertensive people trying to lose weight.  It's important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.

Nearly half (47%) of patients in the low-carbohydrate group had their blood pressure medication decreased or discontinued while only 21 percent of the orlistat plus low-fat diet group experienced a reduction in medication use. Systolic blood pressure dropped considerably in the low-carbohydrate group when compared to the orlistat plus low-fat diet group.

At the end of the day, if you make lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise on a consistent basis, eating nutrient-rich foods that are not man made and keeping stress levels under control, not only will you improve your health significantly, you will feel better and look better with out the costs of doctor visits, prescription drugs and their side effects.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125172938.htm