HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

Part 3 : Reduce Salt in Food

We all need some common dietary salt (sodium chloride) to maintain good health. It plays an important role in our cell functions.  The trouble is that we tend to get too much of it in our diet these days and the excess gives us problems with our health. Most of us would do well to monitor and reduce our intake.  

Research into salt consumption and hypertension has shown that moderate and severe hypertension seem to improve when you follow a salt-restricted diet.  Although the effects of reducing dietary salt on mild hypertension are inconclusive, some studies show that it  may have some effect.  Also at least one big study with 10,000 people in 32 countries (the Intersalt study) has shown a strong link between salt intake and blood pressure rising as you get older.

Statistics don't tell the full picture because some individuals seem to be more sensitive to salt as far as rising blood pressure is concerned than others.  Work is ongoing to look into why this should happen but it is believed that up to one in two people are genetically programmed to suffer high blood pressure if they eat too much salt. A huge proportion!

This makes it highly worthwhile to try cutting down on salt if you have high blood pressure and see if it helps you.

If you also have kidney problems (which can be both a cause of and an effect of high blood pressure) it is doubly important you reduce your salt intake as you may not be able to process and excrete as much salt as normal in your urine.

Our average salt intake is about 6g a day with some people easily eating double that. The recommended amount is between 4 and 6g a day. If you are a heavy salt user you may improve more than your blood pressure by reducing your salt intake – it also cuts your risk of stroke and coronary heart disease too.

Most of the salt we eat these days is hidden in the food we buy at the supermarket, so even if you cut down by not adding food at the table and in cooking you may still find you are getting an excess.

Foods which contain a lot of salt (sodium) are

• snack foods such as crisps, tortilla chips, crackers, salted peanuts
• processed/cured/smoked meats and fish
• canned meats and fish
• canned vegetables
• meat pastes and pate
• ready prepared meals
• packet and canned soups and sauces
• stock (broth) cubes
• yeast extract
• soya sauce
• pickles and ketchup
• breakfast cereals
• bread and baked goods
• salted butter
• cheese
• Chinese food with MSG (mono-sodium glutamate)
• fast-food and take-aways

Other than restricting the foods in the above list, you can reduce salt or sodium (the main ingredient in salt) by

• Buying fresh, simple frozen or tinned food and vegetables with no salt added.
• Using fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than tinned or processed.
• Using different herbs and spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table in place of salt.
• Cooking rice, pasta, and hot cereals without adding any salt.
• Cutting back on instant or flavoured rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
• Choosing "convenience" foods lower in sodium and salt.
• Rinsing tinned foods, such as tuna fish, to remove as much of the sodium as you can.
• Buying low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of your favourite foods, if available.
• Choosing ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium.

Get into the habit of reading the Food Labels on all the food that you buy.  Food labels are great at helping you to choose foods lower in sodium, as well as calories, saturated fat, total fat, sugar, and cholesterol.

Reducing salt intake can be achieved by never adding any salt to your cooking or to the food when it is at the table. If you can't bear to eat your food without any salt, don't salt both during cooking and at the table. (Use one or the other).

Another way of reducing sodium intake is to use a salt substitute.  There are several available on the market. They contain less sodium chloride and are more potassium-rich.  (Note that sea salt, rock salt and natural salt are still sodium chloride and so they do not qualify as salt substitutes). 

Getting used to eating food that contains less salt might be difficult at first but if you consistently stick to your lower salt intake, over time, you should find that you actually grow to like your food with less salt.  Salt tends to blunt our taste buds and stops us enjoying the subtler tastes in good food.

Remember you should consult your doctor if you have high blood pressure (or other potential health problems) before making dietary changes. Any change in blood pressure as a result of diet may require another change in your treatment such as lowering your dose of medication and your doctor will want to keep a close check on your blood pressure to see any effects of the changes you make.

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