Heart issues

(John M. Bradley) #1

I’ve been doing keto for about a year now and it’s had great results in improving my blood panels. My HA1C went from 6.9 to 5.8 within a short period of time. My cholesterol levels are wonderful and my triglycerides went down to 89. So I know I’m doing at least some of this right.

My concern is that I still frequently retain a lot of water weight with my weight fluctuating 5+ pounds in a day. My overall weight plateaued after initially losing 15 pounds, and although I know that I’ve gained muscle my weight is stuck at 230ish pounds. I’m also starting to get pitting edema in my lower legs.

I saw my doctor this morning and there are concerns with my heart. Of course, he wants to lower my sodium, but I’m wondering if that’s actually necessary. Based on my heart history, it is most likely to be heart valve related.

Has anyone on the forum had to deal with this?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

I wouldn’t necessarily worry, but do you have salt-sensitive hypertension? The lowest part of the risk curve for sodium intake lies between 4 and 6 g/day, which is 10-15 g (2-3 U.S. teaspoons) of sodium chloride, inclusive of salt already in your food. For normal people, the risk rises steeply as sodium intake drops below 4g, but more slowly as it rises above 6 g. For salt-sensitive hypertensives, however, the risk curve rises equally steeply on both sides of the sweet spot. Ignore the U.S. government recommendation for daily salt intake; it is woefully inadequate and dangerously low for everyone.

ETA: There are no promises, but there is some possibility that a ketogenic diet might help your heart to heal, at least somewhat. The heart muscle does very well on β-hydroxybutyrate.

(Wendy) #3

Hi John
Ck out the articles on this forum. They are very beneficial! I originally came on this forum looking for answers. I am happy to say I found more than I was looking for. It is nice to get the views and experiences from everyone with pretty much the same goals. To be healthy, happy and loose weight! Good Luck! And Welcome :blush:

(Carl Keller) #4

Sodium has long been demonized to promote the sale of blood pressure lowering medications. Dietdoctor.com recently published this really good article on salt that you might find enlightening.

(John M. Bradley) #5

I don’t have hypertension. My blood pressure has always been in the ideal range.

There is some concern regarding a heart valve, however.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

If you are not salt-sensitive, then the risk from getting too much salt is less than the risk from not getting enough. But in any case, the PURE study and others have shown that staying in the “sweet spot” is beneficial for everyone.

Again, I hope that your ketogenic diet will help heal your heart. That is at least a possibility, especially if the damage to the valve is not too great. A total cure may not be in the cards, of course, but the diet should certainly improve matters in any case.