Everyone knows that there is a connection between too much salt and high blood pressure but the question is how much is too much salt.
And the answer is, it depends.
Now that's not much help but it happens to be true.
We need sodium in our body to help control fluid levels, conduct electrical pulses to our nerves and assist in the contraction and relaxation of our muscles, say like the heart.
But it only takes about 500 milligrams of sodium a day to perform those tasks and even less for people who are "sodium sensitive.
" Strangely enough, the FDA recommends a daily allowance of nearly 5 times the amount we actually need or 2400 milligrams.
So what's the big deal? What's the connection between salt and high blood pressure? As mentioned we need salt.
The kidneys are the organs that control the level of sodium in your body.
If levels are low, the kidneys conserve on the use of the mineral.
If you have too much sodium then the kidneys excrete the excess through urine.
The problem occurs when there is so much sodium that it can't be processed by the kidneys and the sodium backs up in the blood stream.
Sodium, like salt, attracts fluids and that's exactly what happens in your blood vessels.
The excess sodium attracts water which in turn increases the volume of blood in the vessels.
This excess "blood baggage" places a higher stress on the heart which has to pump harder to keep the blood circulating.
So not only do you have the heart increasing pressure by beating harder, you have more blood volume trying to move through the same "plumbing" that is your cardio vascular system also raising blood pressure.
It really is no surprise that the first medication that a doctor prescribes for high blood pressure is a diuretic.
So how can you cut back on salt? Just cutting back on table salt or even using salt in cooking is really not going to have a huge impact as it only accounts for 11% of the salt we consume.
Over 70% of the salt we get comes from processed foods and food eaten out.
Salt is used as a preservative in canned and frozen foods and restaurants pile it on because it is an inexpensive taste enhancer.
The real answer to reducing salt is two fold.
Eat fresh foods when you can to eliminate the salt used in processed foods.
Secondly, read the labels on the food that is processed.
Sodium can come in a variety of different names including MSG, baking powder, baking soda, and disodium phosphate.
Add the amounts up and stay under the 2400 milligrams and try to get much lower if you can.
The lower your salt intake the lower your blood pressure.
If you are over 50, or an African American male, following a low salt diet is even more important as the impact of too much salt is greater on these classes of people than for most.
Swap out salt for spices to flavor your food.
Salt is an acquired taste and if you can wean yourself off it slowly you won't miss it.
If you replace it with spices, you'll open up a whole new world of eating enjoyment.
And the answer is, it depends.
Now that's not much help but it happens to be true.
We need sodium in our body to help control fluid levels, conduct electrical pulses to our nerves and assist in the contraction and relaxation of our muscles, say like the heart.
But it only takes about 500 milligrams of sodium a day to perform those tasks and even less for people who are "sodium sensitive.
" Strangely enough, the FDA recommends a daily allowance of nearly 5 times the amount we actually need or 2400 milligrams.
So what's the big deal? What's the connection between salt and high blood pressure? As mentioned we need salt.
The kidneys are the organs that control the level of sodium in your body.
If levels are low, the kidneys conserve on the use of the mineral.
If you have too much sodium then the kidneys excrete the excess through urine.
The problem occurs when there is so much sodium that it can't be processed by the kidneys and the sodium backs up in the blood stream.
Sodium, like salt, attracts fluids and that's exactly what happens in your blood vessels.
The excess sodium attracts water which in turn increases the volume of blood in the vessels.
This excess "blood baggage" places a higher stress on the heart which has to pump harder to keep the blood circulating.
So not only do you have the heart increasing pressure by beating harder, you have more blood volume trying to move through the same "plumbing" that is your cardio vascular system also raising blood pressure.
It really is no surprise that the first medication that a doctor prescribes for high blood pressure is a diuretic.
So how can you cut back on salt? Just cutting back on table salt or even using salt in cooking is really not going to have a huge impact as it only accounts for 11% of the salt we consume.
Over 70% of the salt we get comes from processed foods and food eaten out.
Salt is used as a preservative in canned and frozen foods and restaurants pile it on because it is an inexpensive taste enhancer.
The real answer to reducing salt is two fold.
Eat fresh foods when you can to eliminate the salt used in processed foods.
Secondly, read the labels on the food that is processed.
Sodium can come in a variety of different names including MSG, baking powder, baking soda, and disodium phosphate.
Add the amounts up and stay under the 2400 milligrams and try to get much lower if you can.
The lower your salt intake the lower your blood pressure.
If you are over 50, or an African American male, following a low salt diet is even more important as the impact of too much salt is greater on these classes of people than for most.
Swap out salt for spices to flavor your food.
Salt is an acquired taste and if you can wean yourself off it slowly you won't miss it.
If you replace it with spices, you'll open up a whole new world of eating enjoyment.
Source...