Salt intake should not exceed 5g/day, but has risen to approximately 9-12 g/day (x 6 more than our palaeolithic intake of 2g). “Salt” and “sodium” are used synonymously, but salt is only 40% sodium; 1 g of salt has 400 mg sodium. Sodium x 2.5 = Salt quantity. 75% of a persons’ salt intake is often derived from processed food; only about 20% is naturally occurring or from salt added in cooking or at the table (the rest comes from sources such as water treatment and medications).
How salt is related to blood pressure
Your body removes unwanted fluid by filtering your blood through your kidneys using a balance of sodium and potassium – sodium is critical for water retention. Eating salt raises the amount of sodium in your bloodstream and wrecks this delicate balance, reducing the ability of your kidneys to remove the water. So, because salt makes your body retain water, it keeps the amount of fluid circulating in the body higher than it should be, which means increased pressure on the blood vessel walls and extra strain on the delicate blood vessels leading to the kidneys.
Salt - The benefits of eating Less:
· You will notice a wider range of flavours in food, as your taste buds adjust to having less salt.
· If you cut back on heavily salted items, you could end up eating a more nutritious diet because sodium often lurks in foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar.
· Cutting down on salt reduces BP in weeks, whether or not your BP is high to start with.
· When your BP goes down, your risk of developing heart disease and stroke goes down too, whatever your age.
How to reduce salt in your diet:
· Avoid red traffic light salt rated foods.
· Breads and cereals may not taste salty but are often high in salt.
· Labels promising “reduced sodium” or “unsalted” may still contain more than you need.
· Salt can be listed by other names, such as disodium phosphate, or any compound with sodium or Na in its name, so check food labels.
· Instead of seasoning with salt, try pepper, herbs, spices, lemon, vinegars, garlic, onion etc.
· If you must have salt, add it after cooking since the stronger taste will help you use less.
· We learn to crave salt, but we can learn to prefer less in just a few months.
Anti – hypertensive diet The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) was developed to combat hypertension. The diet is simple and effective:
· Eat more fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods
· Eat more whole-grain foods, fish, poultry, and nuts
· Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats.
· Limit sodium, sweets, sugary drinks, and red meats
Other dietary considerations:
· Fibre - increasing fibre can help lower blood pressure and provide essential nutrients, sources include, starchy veg, wholegrains and pulses.
· Potassium - can lessen the adverse effect of sodium on blood pressure. Sources include: sweet potatoes, squash, green leafy vegetables (GLV), bananas, melons and pulses.
· Calcium - can also help to lower BP, as it is needed by your heart, muscles and nerves to function properly. Sources include dairyand green leafy veg such as spinach, kale, broccoli, chard, and bok choy etc.
· Beetroot juice contains nitrates that may help to significantly lower blood pressure in just 24 hours.
Lifestyle Considerations:
· Reduce excessive weight and maintain within normal limits.
· Take regular moderate exercise – at least 3 x 30 minutes.
· Cut back on alcohol and reduce caffeine consumption.
· Stop smoking – this damages blood vessels - leading to cholesterol deposits and narrows blood vessels.
· Do not over exert yourself in hot or humid weather.
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