Q: I have gone vegan and my blood pressure has dropped. My systolic has dropped 30 points and my diastolic has dropped 8 points. Is it the protein or fat in my diet that causes the high pressure?
A: In general, vegetarians have lower blood pressure than meat eaters. The reasons are not clear. Perhaps it is the lower fat content or the higher potassium level from the greater amount of fruits and vegetables consumed. Most people who switch to a vegetarian diet also lose weight. Weight loss is another factor to consider.
To read what the American Heart Association has to say go here.
(5 votes, average: 3.40 out of 5)
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Without a complete description of the previous diet and the new diet (also any other changes in lifestyle), it’s an irresponsible leap to assume that the only major changes were reductions in protein and fat as a result of having “gone vegan.” Was there a major change in the amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates consumed? Was there a reduction in calories consumed (and the accompanying weightloss)? People see similar results when they change to Primal/Paleo diets/lifestyles and those diets have high protein/fat content. What is usually the common factor between vegans and primal/paleo eaters is a significant reduction in sugar/processed carbs.