These 2 diets can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure

For people looking to lose weight Or lower their blood pressureTwo different regimes could help.

In a new study, published in late May in NutrientsTHE Ceto and Mediterranean regime Attaining the two objectives in overweight and obese participants with high blood pressure.

With around 40% of adults in the United States living with obesity and almost half of high blood pressure – two main risk factors for heart disease and other chronic conditions – this research presents food interventions accessible for a large population.

But the experts have warned that one of these diets is not ideal for everyone and has shared advice for choosing the right diet.

To compare the effects of keto and mediterranean diets, the researchers tested them in 26 people. The participants were overweight or obese and had blood pressure or slightly high hypertension.

The researchers divided participants into two groups: 15 people followed an keto regime and 11 adopted the Mediterranean regime.

The study did not specify the foods that the participants ate, but it defined the levels of several macronutrients in each diet:

• Ceto diet: Rich in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates
• Mediterranean regime: Rich in carbohydrates and potassium, low in sodium

The two regimes involved a calorie restriction, all the participants eating approximately 1,300 calories per day.

After three months with the regimes, participants in The two groups have seen a drop in weight and blood pressure. People have also undergone discounts of the waist, BMI and fat.

The only significant difference between the diets was their effect on the night dip, or the natural drop in blood pressure while you sleep. Participants in the keto diet saw a greater drop in nocturnal blood pressure, which may indicate better overall heart health.

The main limits of the study were its short duration and its small sample size. Nor was it randomized, which means that the participants were not assigned to a regime by chance. Instead, they were placed on each plan according to their nutritional profile and their personal preferences.

The two regimes have produced similar results in the study, but they are very different.

The ketogenic or keto diet is generally rich in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. It aims to cause weight loss by inducing ketosis, when the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in carbohydrates – in particular grains, fruits and whole vegetables – and lower in protein and animal fats. It is based on traditional eating habits in blue areas around the Mediterranean Sea and is supposed to help people live longer.

Despite their differences, the two regimes can help you lose weight.

On the keto diet with a low carbohydrate content, “you will lose weight because you remove a major macronutrient,” the Academy of nutrition and dietetics in Sue -llen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, spokesperson for the Nutrition and Dietetics & Wirls & Women, 360 Girls & Women, Health.

The Mediterranean diet will also promote weight loss, she said: “Because you delete saturated fats and also include more foods rich in nutrients.”

For study participants, the weight loss of diets has probably caused improvements in blood pressure. “Any weight loss will produce this because studies have shown a direct relationship between weight loss and blood pressure,” said Anderson-Haynes.

The little calorie intake of the two regimes probably explains the weight loss of the study participants, but Anderson-Haynes said that nutrients and whole foods in each diet can still make a difference.

“The reduction of calories generally lends to weight loss, but weight loss is complicated,” she said. “We know that energy in, energy is not always the magic formula.”

Although the two regimes can help manage blood weight and blood pressure, experts Recommend the Mediterranean diet on Keto diet.

Although Keto can cause rapid weight loss and help control blood sugar, its restrictions make it difficult to maintain Laura Acosta, DCN, RDN, LDN, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Nutrition and Human Nutrition of the University of Florida, told the University of Florida, Health.

Experts also had concerns about the cutting of carbohydrates, mainly due to the loss of fibers – a specific type which is essential for weight management, heart health, intestinal microbiome, and more.

“I would evaluate the keto diet of a low health quality because you remove these fibrous foods,” said Anderson-Haynes. “They cut the types of fibers in your diet on which you need to prosper for good health.”

The Keto diet is also delivered with several other drawbacks:

• Higher cholesterolwhich can worsen heart health over time
• Digestive problemslike constipation, diarrhea and bloating
• Cognitive declinewith symptoms such as brain fog and memory disorders
• Flu ketoOr the side effects, such as vomiting, headache, fatigue and insomnia, some feel during the first weeks on the diet
• Ceto breathA distinct and unpleasant odor in the mouths of chemicals produced during ketosis

The Mediterranean regime also includes risks – such as lower iron levels and red wine consumption – but experts said it was not as extreme or restrictive as Keto.

“No food is prohibited, which is the only characteristic [the Mediterranean diet] That I really appreciate “,” Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CEO of Ny Nutrition Group and author of “The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan”, said Health. “All foods can adapt, but we highlight and prioritize the foods we know are most favorable to health.”

The Mediterranean regime has a number of well -documented advantages, including:

• Reduce inflammation
• Support heart health
• Decrease the risk of diabetes
• Prevent certain cancers
• Improve brain health

Although the Mediterranean diet can promote weight loss, Acosta said it was not really a weight loss diet. “It’s just a useful way to eat,” she said. “And I think that sometimes weight loss follows naturally because it is a type of eating that will feel really satiant.”

“The two regimes can help, but I would say that the strength and sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are stronger,” added Acosta.

The keto diet can be the right choice for certain specific groups, said Anderson-Haynes, including people losing weight before bariatric surgery and those with epilepsy. There is also some early research that Keto could benefit people with type 2 diabetes, Acosta said.

But the Mediterranean regime can work for anyone and everyone, the experts have accepted.

This may not correspond to food in the culture of all, noted Anderson-Haynes, but simple adjustments can generally make it work. For example, Anderson-Haynes recommends Vivaneau instead of salmon for African diaspora customers.

When creating a diet, Moskovitz recommends considering several questions:

• What are your long -term goals?
• What is realistic for you?
• What seems good to you?
• What can you continue to follow a lifetime?

Consultation of a dietitian can also help you find a diet adapted to you and your goals, be it weight loss, drop in blood pressure or something else.

“A healthy diet is something that you can stick to the long term,” said Anderson-Haynes. “Working with an expert will go there.”