I may need some support soon, so I'll jump in here to show the flag.
I tend not to read the many posts debating dueling research results. In my
search for a way to lower my blood pressure without resorting to medication,
I came across the Paleo diet. I had read The Paleolithic Prescription many
years prior and was glad when I found Cordain and, later, Aulette's book.

Before then, I had read a few things on hypertension and had been 
discouraged by the way you were totally dependent on what research someone 
cited. The chemistry was so arcane that I lost track of how valid these 
claims were. But the Paleo idea simply made sense: our evolution has not 
caught up with the revolution in diet. You can make an argument for not only 
grains and cereals but also preservatives, hormones, fast food, and anything 
else that alllows us to do something we couldn't before. If there are no 
unpleasant side effects... great.
In my case, years of vigorous exercise did nothing for my high b/p. 
Meditation, relaxation, periods relatively free of stress..... no 
difference.
But, when I went on a diet that eliminated carbohydrates... boom! my b/p 
dropped like a rock.
I do like the studies of ancient man and contemporary (or, at least, fairly 
recent) hunter/gatherers, but there are two things that clinch it for me:
#1 My b/p drops when I'm on the diet.
#2 It makes sense (I was an anthropology major)

I got way off my diet and my b/p reached a high of 187/116. It had been 
hovering around 170s, 180s over 105. Within 24 hours of restarting Paleo, it 
was down to 140s over high 80s and is now (10 days later) as low as 128/75 
(5 p.m. reading).
I still drink coffee and alcohol but tomorrow I'm going to cut out coffee 
(just for that day) to see if I evade the morning spike of about 150s over 
high 90s.
That's my take on it. The premise is: evolutionary, most of us (and I'm 
convinced we're all different) cannot handle this new-fangled diet.
I refuse to go on medication when diet will solve the problem.
One caveat: some nutrition people told me that any diet that reduces the 
total amount of food you eat may also lower your b/p. Once I stay down for a 
few months, I'll test that by upping my food amounts.
[log in to unmask]  Pat Barrett   (p.s. I'm 64, 5'7", male, teacher, married, 
health otherwise good, genetic background of long-lived people with no 
problems except.... high b/p - my dad always said, "Jesus Christ, you're 
ITALIAN!You're supposed to have high blood pressure!)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: Paleo Diet premise false ??


> Please remind me what that premise is.  And how might this article
> contradict it?  Thanks.
>
> Jim Swayze
>