Why Healthy People Still Have High Blood Pressure (Doctor Explains)
Video Overview & Insights
Most people think high blood pressure is caused by salt, poor diet, and lack of exercise — but many “healthy” people stay hypertensive for a completely different reason.
That is certainly a nice straightforward thing to try, thanks.
In this video, I explain why blood pressure can remain high even when you eat well, exercise regularly, and avoid processed food, and why the real driver is often chronically elevated insulin from constant eating.
After nearly a decade working in Emergency Medicine, I’ve seen the same pattern repeatedly: patients doing “everything right” on paper, yet presenting with blood pressure readings in the 160s or higher. The missing piece is not another restriction, it’s understanding how insulin timing affects the kidneys, sodium retention, sympathetic nervous system activity, and blood vessel function.
My husband is a practicing pediatrician. He actually follows your physiological explanations and tells me they make great sense to him. He even suggested that you have people tell their doctor to tune into this particular podcast if they're not already doing so.
This video breaks down:
-Why cutting salt doesn’t reliably fix blood pressure
can anyone advise why my BP is up as i only eat, very strict, perfect all the correct whole vegan foods and i do fast for 24 hours in every 48 hours and eat on my eating days 2 meals 8 hours apart i never eat any food whatsover between my 3 meals in every 48 hours. so plenty of time for insuline to drop but still have too high BP, though i do feel constandly stressed and axcious almost 24/7 hence only sleep 4/5 hours a night, just cant stay assleep, could this lack of sleep and constant cortasol etc. levels from anxiety/stress be causing this ? would like to know how much this strees/anxiety can rearly drive up BP ? as video mentioned hormone levela but only quoited insulin, what about the other hormon levels like stress hormons do they do the same ?
-How frequent meals and snacks keep insulin elevated all day
-Why the kidneys retain sodium regardless of dietary intake
Brilliant breakdown, Dr. Alex! it’s so refreshing to see someone focus on insulin timing rather than just the tired "cut the salt" narrative.
Your bathtub analogy is spot on—if constant grazing keeps insulin elevated, the kidneys will hold onto sodium no matter how clean someone eats. Fantastic work shifting the paradigm toward true root-cause prevention.
-How BMI and visible fitness can hide metabolic dysfunction (TOFI)
-Why late-night eating drives morning hypertension
Amazing insights. I am that person searching for an answer having tried everything including buying an oura ring, hilo BP monitor and dexcom CGM to track everything i eat, drink and do. I will try what is suggested and see if it impacts. I was guilty of the bad patterns of eating even though i eat healthier. Best video on the subject I have found since searching for a month full time. Thank you Doc!!! 🎉
-What actually helps blood pressure fall biologically
We also cover practical, evidence-based strategies (including eating windows, exercise timing, and sleep) that allow insulin to fall back to baseline so the pressure-regulating systems can finally reset.
OMG! You have NAILED NAILED and NAILED it!!! So many docs and others don’t get this as a major cause of hypertension and its downstream effects. It’s the INSULIN!!!!
This is educational content, not personal medical advice. If you have persistently high readings or symptoms, speak to your doctor.
TIMESTAMPS
A good video.
00:00 - The “healthy person” paradox
02:15 - Why “doing everything right” doesn’t always work
Dr Alex,
I fall for to the condition you’re explaining so now I can understand where I have gone wrong. Thank you very much. Rene 😊❤
04:11 - Insulin is meant to be pulsatile, not constant
07:56 - How insulin tells the kidney to retain sodium
What an excellent inspirational explanation … Thank you Alex .. defo following you from now on … I’m an 85 year old female , still working as a wellbeing programmer and fitness teacher, , but in the last year , my blood pressure , has become elevated , forcing me me to go on a BP med .I have been snacking between training sessions , going to stop from today !!! Also Alex I think you live in the same part of the UK as me , judging by your accent .. Thanks again !
11:12 - Why BMI and fitness can be misleading (TOFI)
14:47 - The one mistake: constant feeding
Even people wwho eat well and stay active can still have high blood pressure,which shows how much genetics, stress, sleep, and other hidden factors can matter.
18:58 - Why the modern food environment works against you
20:22 - What actually lowers blood pressure biologically
The sleep thing. Let me tell you as a shift worker…. It destroys everything, from your energy reserves to your eating habits. It’s really messed up. People who work night shifts should be compensated in a way that improves their health.
24:52 - What this looks like in real patients
27:42 - Why this matters for long-term health and longevity
Repeat! Delay the point for the story.. rubbish!
30:19 - Final takeaway and what to do next
#dralex #doctoralex #bloodpressure #insulinresistance #metabolichealth #hypertension #longevity
Thank you Alex.....very very informative indeed. I understand totally....Fasting then is very important. Your video's. are so easy to understand
More User Perspectives
Oh my word, this is me! Thank you! 🎉
@minkymandy6065Now I understand why my pressure is up in the mornings. Thank u
@BerthaAkunorIt has nothing to do with salt.
@bunchie1966Is water ok between meals? What about a herbal tea made with just hot water between meals?
@christinehanley9561I understand now why fasting helps to lower blood pressure via lowering insulin
@jakesnake1481Why is my blood pressure high?? Becuz of the guy in the White House...
@user-md4di6yg2pId love to hear about HRT and BP
@angelinahoward2428You nailed it for me. Thank you.
@msocr3215Brilliant ! makes absolute sense sense and I bought the eat 5 times a day / little and often. Thanks for the truth. I'm on it. 😎
@Darren.HiltonI want to believe you but has this been SPECIFICALLY studied in women? I remember how much hype there was around fasted training only to find out that it backfires for women because our biology is different.
@polarpoutcosmetics5881Guilty late night eater here
@js46644Please talk about electrolytes.
@PRJohn-mz1jeBest doctor ever... thank you for sharing. Very informative..
@PRJohn-mz1jeI will try and build an 8 hour window later a 10 hour window. I wonder if I can have my one black coffee in thé morning before I reach that 8 or 10 hour window?
@mariavandenbroele9843Important videos
Thanks dr Alex
I will take notes. I watch your video s with notepaper ready in my hand. Love from Belgium 💌🇧🇪🙏✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️✍️
Yeah, well I eat once a day, work out all the time. It's mystery.
@fatjesus-x6z32 minutes and he repeated himself 32 times............ fucking come on cut your videos down.
@christophernuzzolo5977I found out it was the carbs, sugar and caffeine coffee. I now eat super low carbs all week and no longer drink coffee and my numbers are much better. I also walk slow now and do slow workouts. Alot of talking causes stress which also raises blood pressure, so I talk alot less now. This video is talking about me and it has pissed me off. I was literally doing the heart healthy diet (the same diet the hospital give you) and still my bottom number stayed high and got me put me on blood pressure pills.
@ladybird491This video should be played in every doctors office around the world. Dr.Alex breaks it down so everyone can understand what he is saying. Well done doctor.
@pythonprogrammer7354The missing piece of the puzzle! You are so right! I always wondered what is wrong with me. Living a healthy life and still having a sky high bloodpressure. So this must be the solution: narrowing down the time frame within I am eating a d lowering the insuline spikes. Normally I have my meals within a 12 hour window. But from now on I will reduce this gradually to an 8 hour window and see what it gives. Thank you for this eye opening advice. Can I still drink my tea and coffee (no sugar, no milk) outside this 8 hour time frame? Thanks again, Coco from Belgium, 69 years. PS I will definitely keep you posted about the results.
@senang2day524Just to be clear, essential hypertension (95% of the time) is actually high levels of circulating insulin. Before a physician puts you on an antihypertensive, they should check your fasting insulin and I guarantee you that it will ALWAYS be elevated. This is why people who are on high dose antihypertensive therapy should be very careful about going on a ketogenic diet because if you continue your medication, you WILL pass out. Most hypertension is NOT due to cardio-vascular disease. It actually high levels of insulin. Good video. And BTW, rice cakes are basically puffed sugar.
@EasyFinance-l1sThis is a very excellent explanation. I'm that skinny fat person you described. I'm fit, eat right, exercise 5 days a week etc. Yet without blood pressure meds, my pressure will be high. The main excuse doctor's give is "You're African American, African American people's blood pressure tends to run high." And then the topper, "It's genetic." Which is supposed to make you feel better. I love the way you explained the actual problem rather than using a broad sweeping, one-size-fits-all answer.
@EasyFinance-l1sI am old now. Here is what I've learned. We are all going to die. Eat what you want within reason, exercise within reason, avoid what stress you can which includes social media telling you what to do and enjoy life. I've watched the people who try hard to live long and prosper die young, I've watched people who live on junk food and are sedentary outlive the ones who try hard. My neighbor, who is one year younger than me, died three days before Christmas running at the indoor track She barely weighed 100 pounds and was what I thought a healthy, vibrant human being. Avoid doctors unless necessary, laugh and quit worrying about tomorrow.
@EasyFinance-l1sI've just spent 3 days in hospital with unmedicated, unexplained high blood pressure (usually high but had suddenly skyrocketed to dangerous levels). Dr's tested everything possible but found no cause. I left with a script and no explanation. When I asked questions, I was told to not take advice from social media, lose weight (bmi 27) and de-stress. But, no one asked about my diet, my sleep or if I exercise. Meds were not discussed or explained and lifestyle wasn't mentioned. I'm 54, don't drink or smoke, very light activity from carrying heavy equipment. This video explained what 3 days in hospital couldn't,so going to re-watch and make notes!
@EasyFinance-l1sand I have been eating a 18/6 TRE pattern for a couple of years now, two meals in the 6 hour window. I have a breakfast and a lunch, nothing normally after 2 pm most days (no snacks). When socialising I sometimes eat later with a dinner, but I always make sure there is at least 3 hours between eating and bedtime, plus I always make sure that the overnight fast is at least 12 hours. My blood pressure is normally around 110/70, and has been for many years now. This is all very good advice.
@EasyFinance-l1sThis helps so much! I believe sipping on my latte throughout the day may be the trigger for me. I don’t like to drink them all at once. I tend to sip on my coffee all morning.
@LexiLotusVery interesting but a lot to take in. You sound great and wise about it but will my GP?
@dr.ziggy5Thank you so much for this information, Doctor! Now,it's all makes sense now,you advise is greatly appreciated!
@Cwang1891I have seen too many testimonies to deny that whole food vegan diets can work for some, but keto / low carb seems to work a bit more universally, particularly for people in their 40s and beyond...
@hawkdshAre you forgetting about the misfiring of the adrenals causing a condition..my husband never had high bp..until found spit on the adrebals that caused this physiological condition spiking blood at night
@DeborahPryor-lk4nxGood timing. My BP was tested by my personal trainer this week and was 140/92. I'm a 57 year old male with a vo2max of 52, RHR of 49BPM, 600+ exercise intensity minutes per week. I pretty much do exercise every day. BMI 22. I eat a blue-zone Mediterranean diet. Don't eat after 6pm mostly. Normal lipids. Good metabolics. CAC score 0.5% .Go figure 🥺
@garch2023Thank you. This explanation is very important to me and it is helpful
@magdalineebua3908I've always high bp since the whiplash in 2002 they gave me emflex and tramodol which didn't control the pain but was better than nothing before the whiplash my BP was brilliant. Since the whiplash it's always high and I've been in pain since then cut down on salt in my 30s, I do between 8 to 10 thousand steps cut down on sweets prefer savoury find it impossible to lose weight nothing works. Ive also had reflux from the age 13 diet helps control the worse symptoms but i can't eat after 18.00 takes too long to digest so i do fadt but still have high bp
@janetstevenson9580My blood pressure is still high because Donald Duck is still in office.
@Roscoe187311Your information is very helpful, thank you for sharing it with everyone.
@DailyHealthyLiving-b3pI had my BP under control, and I was even able to get off one of my BP medications. Things only changed after the covid jabs I had. I refused after the second one.
@cindyharrison4191need to listen more than once.
@benwinnerkam6717