#heart health #high blood pressure #hypertension
High blood pressure, also called "hypertension," is very common. It is estimated that about half of all Americans have it. The latest guidelines from the American Heart Association define a consistent blood pressure reading of 130/80 or greater, as high. A recent study showed that limiting salt intake alone can decrease the blood pressure significantly.
How salt affects blood pressure
Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. The amount of sodium you eat has a direct effect on your blood pressure. Sodium causes your body to retain fluid. The extra fluid increases the force of blood pushing against the inside of your arteries, which increases your blood pressure.
How to limit salt
The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 2300 mg (2.3 gm) of sodium per day. If you have high blood pressure, you should aim for 1500 mg (1.5 gm) or less.
Controlling how much salt you eat is an easy and fast way to decrease your blood pressure.
-Ditch the salt shaker
Don't add extra salt to your food. You can add extra flavor with salt substitutes, spices, or herbs.
-Make your own meals
This is the only way you really know how much salt is in your food, because you choose your own ingredients and add extra salt yourself. When you eat out, unless you ask for the nutrition facts, it is hard to know how much salt is in your meal.
When you cook at home, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a good plan to follow.
-Limit processed and packaged foods
Pre-made meals are traditionally high in salt. Salt is used to enhance the flavor and extend the shelf life of processed and packaged foods. This includes canned foods, pre-packaged refrigerated and frozen meals and dry boxed meal kits (for example, a box kit for macaroni and cheese).
-Read labels
Reading nutrition labels is really important. You will be surprised by how much sodium is in pre-made/packaged foods and meal kits. Salt will be listed as "sodium" on the nutrition label. Be sure you know the serving size and how many servings are in the package or container so you add the totals up correctly. For example, if you are looking at the label on a can of pre-made soup and the label says 2 servings per container, you will need to double the amount of sodium you will be getting if you eat the whole can. So, if one serving has 600 mg of sodium, the whole can (2 servings) it has 1200 mg of sodium.
If eating a low salt diet along with other lifestyle changes do not lower the blood pressure enough, your healthcare provider may start you on medication. If your blood pressure runs high, it is a good idea to measure your blood pressure at home.
It is important for your blood pressure and overall health to have regular check-ups and partner with your healthcare provider to come up with a plan together.
Sources
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board