Water Diet Eliminates Hypertension?

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Water Diet Eliminates Hypertension?

In industrialized societies, hypertension-related diseases are the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. In the U.S. alone, 500,000 die from stroke and 400,00 from congestive heart failure annually, despite the fact that hypertension is considered easily controllable.

Although drug interventions have proven disappointing, lifestyle and diet alterations may effectively reduce hypertension.

To investigate the effects on blood pressure (BP) of water-only fasting combined with lifestyle modifications, 174 hypertension patients (BP at least 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic) initially fasted for two-to-three days, consuming only fruits and vegetables. Next, for an average of 10-11 days under medical observation, patients consumed distilled water only. Finally, for approximately one week, subjects followed a vegan diet during a refeeding stage.

Results: By the end of the program, 89% of patients reduced their blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg. Other results are listed below:

Average BP reduction was 37 mm Hg diastolic and 13 mm Hg systolic, and was greatest in more severe cases.

All subjects who began the study on hypertension medication (6.3%) were able to discontinue use by the end of the study.

Another benefit: body weight decreased by an average of 6.9 kg per patient.

The authors note that although these results are promising, no generalizations should be made from the limited data provided in the study; they encourage further investigation into the effectiveness of medically supervised water-only fasting to eliminate hypertension.

Goldhamer A, Lisle D, Parpia B, et al. Medically supervised water-only fasting in the treatment of hypertension. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, June 2001:24(5), pp. 335-339.
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