There was a fabulous post by Peter at Hyperlipid today. I enjoyed his figures so much, I had to pass them on.
http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2010/03/getting-fat-is-good-official.html
The issue here is correctly identifying cause and effect; something which I’ve noticed is a common problem in many aspects of modern society.
When you’re relatively insulin resistant, even a slight rise in glucose production or intake can cause a blood glucose (BG) peak.
It goes something like this: low-carb intake reduces insulin; low insulin activates hormone-sensitive lipase (LIPE); LIPE breaks down triglycerides in the muscle or adipose tissue and releases non-essential fatty acids (NEFA); NEFA induces insulin resistance.
One of the goals of the Paleo diet is to reduce the level of insulin in the body. Insulin is a pro-aging hormone; it encourages excess energy to be stored as fat, and acts to inhibit lipolysis. One of the side-effects of a low-carb diet is increased insulin resistance, which can lead to higher levels of insulin and larger peaks in blood glucose (BG) levels (high BG levels are worth avoiding because they can damage many internal systems, particularly nerves).
The best approach to high blood pressure will of course depend on the cause. Metabolic syndrome (chronic high levels of insulin with associated insulin resistance) is one well-documented cause of hypertension, as is diabetes. The theory is that chronically high BG (even below levels considered diabetic) can damage nerves, including the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling blood pressure (among many other things). In the long-term, the Paleo diet should help improve things by eliminating what may have been one aspect of the initial cause.