So I am brand new to Huel, this is my first day. I’ve had my first shake for breakfast and was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the taste (Original flavour, still to try the banana flavour which was also part of my order).
Going forward I plan to replace my breakfast and lunch each day with Huel and have a normal meal for dinner.
I have pre-hypertension although lately my readings have been in the much higher range yet the doctor has been reluctant to put my on medication so far due to me being relatively young in my 30’s even though heart disease is rampant in my family genetics (thanks!).
The salt content seems fairly low in a 2 scoop 100g serving at 0.72g. For example if i try and cook a nice healthy soup it probably is healthy for me in many respects except i always end up seasoning it with stock cubes and extra salt just to make it taste good (I just cannot enjoy it otherwise) so for me when I compare this the comparatively lower salt content in a 100g serving of Huel I feel like a Huel meal might be a good way for me to help lower my sodium intake.
I am just wondering if anyone has had any success with trying to lower blood pressure on a Huel diet (not necessarily a 100% exclusive Huel diet) or otherwise. I am still slightly cautious that the salt content in Huel is potentially still not low enough for someone on High blood pressure so I guess what I really want to Know is if Huel would be considered more positive or negative for this condition?
Always best to check with your doctor just in case. There are multiple factors that go into blood pressure and it will depend on the rest of your diet too. You’re right the salt content is quite low and Huel is also high in fibre, which has been shown to be beneficial for blood pressure.
One person who had high blood pressure, and was taking medication for it (which did not fix it entirely), and made Huel a significant part of their diet, had a reduction in blood pressure to finally normal levels. They did not go off medication, but will bring it up on their next doctor visit.
One person who had a higher BP than normal levels, and was not on medication, also saw some reduction in BP when making Huel a significant part of their diet.
One person who had low BP their entire life finally got their BP up when making Huel a significant part of their diet and adding a bit of salt (3g extra per day).
A significant part of diet = eating Huel for all meals except a couple meals with family per week. Those who had a Huel shake only a couple times a week saw no changes in their BP, or don’t track their BP in any regular manner to spot any difference, but their non-Huel diet is atrocious anyway.
All of this is anecdotal evidence based on ~10 people I know that have BP problems, so it has no statistical significance.
I think it all looks safe for blood pressure. If i compare the salt content to my typical lunch before Huel which would often be soup and a sandwich the salt content in a serving of Huel is significantly lower. And like you say fibre and the potential weight loss can only be a good thing for high BP.
It’s good to hear, even if it is just anecdotal that you know of people who have lowered their BP after consuming Huel, wether that was as a direct result of the Huel diet or a combination of other factors, it’s still encouraging!
Only day 2 for me but I do plan to stick to having Huel for my first 2 meals of the day for the forseeable future as it gives me all the nutrition I need that I’d really struggle to get from an average meal as well as being far healthier than soup + bread + crips.
