Cut Hypertension Drugs With Low-Salt Diet
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News
Reviewed By Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC
July 20, 2009 — Lowering daily salt intake may reduce the need to prescribe additional medications to control high blood pressure, according to a new study.
Patients with resistant hypertension are those who take three or more medicines to try and control their blood pressure, but their readings are still high. “These patients especially benefit from a low-salt diet,” says study lead author Eduardo Pimenta, MD, a clinical research fellow in the hypertension department of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
“Doctors tend to add more and more antihypertensive medications,” he says, but “these patients could have their blood pressure controlled with a low-salt diet and fewer medications.” Based on his study, he says, doctors should consider additional lifestyle intervention, reinforcing to patients the importance of a low-salt diet before adding more drugs.
The study is published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. In the same issue, another study found that modest salt reduction reduced blood pressure in blacks, whites, and Asians who had mildly elevated pressures, and that the low-salt diet also produced other health benefits.
The lowdown on the low-sodium diet
By Jacob Franek
Stress Management Specialist
Take for example, the low-sodium diet. Sodium is a nutrient found in table salt and many other foods. Most men consume far too much sodium, usually because we add too much table salt to our food. And although many of us recognize that sodium is “bad” for us, very few truly understand the reasons why — and even fewer actually take measures to suck the salt from our diets.
So why exactly do men need to worry about salt? And why should we practice a low-sodium diet?
Read on to find out as AskMen explores the low-sodium diet.
The good and bad of sodium
Despite the negative press on salt, the reality is that the human body needs some sodium to function properly. What exactly does it do for you? For starters, sodium helps maintain the balance of fluids in our bodies, it helps transmit nerve impulses and it also influences muscle contractions.
By and large, the kidney functions to control sodium. If sodium levels are low, the kidneys retain sodium. If sodium levels are high, the kidneys excrete excess sodium in the urine. But if, for some reason, the kidneys aren’t working properly, or if we ingest too much salt, sodium begins to accumulate in the blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, blood volume increases and, with it, so does blood pressure.
It is this increase in blood pressure that makes sodium so dangerous, being a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading killers in the U.S. With that in mind, isn’t it about time you thought about a low-sodium diet?
How much sodium do you really need?
The Institute of Medicine recommends the following adequate intakes for adults per day:
- 1,500 mg for people aged 9 to 50,
- 1,300 mg for adults aged 51 to 70, and
- 1,200 mg for seniors over 70 years of age.
Meanwhile, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends upper limits that adults should not exceed:
- 2,300 mg for the healthy adult,
- 1,500 mg of sodium a day if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or diabetes; are black; or are middle-aged or older.
Why do processed foods contain so much sodium?
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
~Mayo Clinic nutritionist~
Salt (sodium chloride) helps prevent spoiling by drawing moisture out of food, so bacteria can’t grow. Salt also kills existing bacteria that might cause spoiling.
At one time, salting was one of the only ways to preserve food. Although that’s not the case today, salt remains a common ingredient in many processed foods. Salt makes soups more savory, reduces dryness in crackers and pretzels, and increases sweetness in cakes and cookies. Salt also helps disguise metallic or chemical aftertastes in products such as soft drinks.
For otherwise healthy adults, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. That’s about 1 teaspoon of table salt — and what you may find in an average amount of processed foods every day. If you have high blood pressure or certain other chronic conditions, you’re black, or you’re older than age 50, your doctor may recommend limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg a day.
To reduce sodium in your diet:
- Eat more fresh foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish and unprocessed grains.
- Read product labels for sodium content. As much as possible, opt for low-sodium products or products without added salt.
- Select unsalted nuts, seeds, pretzels and other snacks.
- Use herbs and spices — rather than salt — to flavor your food.
Americans consume too much salt in diet
Published: June 25, 2010
ATLANTA — Most U.S. adults should eat less than a teaspoon of salt each day, but a new government report says just 1 in 18 meet that goal.
The participants in the study tended to consume roughly 1teaspoons of salt each day. People in the more restrictive group — those at increased risk of high blood pressure — were eating twice as much as they should have, the study found.
“This is not good news,” said Janelle Peralez Gunn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead author of a new study released Thursday.
Health officials currently say no adult should eat more than a teaspoon of salt each day. They go on to advise that 70 percent of adults — including people with high blood pressure, all African-Americans and everyone over 40 — should actually limit their salt intake to a more restrictive two-thirds of a teaspoon.
Sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, which is major cause of heart disease and stroke.
Overall, only 1 in 10 adults meet the teaspoon standard, said the CDC study. But for those who should be even stingier, only 1 in 18 manage to do it.
The research repeated what others have found, that the majority of dietary salt comes from processed and restaurant foods. And it concluded that salt was most commonly found in cold cuts and other meats, and in baked goods and other items counted as grain-based products.
Salt reduction has become a recent focus of public health campaigns. New York City, the American Heart Association and nearly three dozen other groups have been trying to persuade food manufacturers and chain eateries to reduce salt content.
0Low Sodium BBQ Sauce at it’s BEST!
I wanted you all to know that I have been very busy trying to stay afloat like everyone else. Any suggestions on how to make money these days would be much appreciated. My husband and I are both out of work and being self employeed is not all that.
We had some bad news in the family today. My 13 year old son found out that he will have to go back to Children’s Hospital here in Detroit. He had ablation heart surgery at the age of 10, and some additional fibers have grown over each other and are causing SVT’s- so his heart just starts beating at 250-300 for no reason at all-it looks like it will pound right out of his chest!
For the above reasons-I have let my blog slip and now I need a cause or path or vent forum-SOMETHING!!!-this will be it. LET’S TALK LOW SODIUM FOODS that taste good! Share with me some secrets, tips, trials, successes-let’s help each other keep going.
I found another great product through www.heartwisefood.com It is HOT ROD BOB’S-THICK N SPICY or ORIGINAL(for those who can only handle mild). I bought both and mixed them and it was PERFECT!
Great Tasting Low Sodium Chili Mixes!
I found a company that makes a few varieties of chili that really taste great. WILLIAMS makes Chicken Chili which I have used for years, but now found that they also have a CHIPOLTE and Original. I ordered the Chipolte from www.heartwisefood.com and used NO SALT ADDED fire roasted diced tomatoes by Muir Glen and it was GREAT!!! Really easy and NO SALT ADDED! Try it & let me know if you think so too…
Beware of Hidden High-Sodium Foods
People Often Worry About Fat and Calories, but Sodium Can Also Be Dangerous
Clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller said on “Good Morning America” that even a health-conscious consumer could be eating hidden salt.
High blood pressure often doesn’t cause obvious symptoms.
If it’s left untreated, however, it can lead to heart attack and stroke. Of the 65 million Americans believed to have high blood pressure, about one-third don’t know it.
Although the federal government recommends 2,300 mg of sodium a day, the average American takes in 4,000 mg of daily sodium, which is equivalent to more than three pounds of salt per year.
“Sodium in and of itself is not bad,” Heller said. “It’s an electrolyte and works with other nutrients in your body. Still, we eat too much.”
Heller said that 75 percent of the sodium consumed was in processed food, not salt that people added themselves.
“Well, the main thing is that it doesn’t have to taste salty for there to be sodium,” she said. “For example, the grande Starbucks java chip Frappuccino® light blended coffee has 350 milligrams of sodium, and one Krispy Kreme chocolate iced cake doughnut has 320 mg. That’s about 15 percent of your daily allowance.”
“Also, cheese is always high in sodium, and any processed tomato products: tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato juice. Unless it says ‘low-sodium’ on the label, it’s got high sodium.”
Starbucks and Krispy Kreme say they list nutritional information so that customers can make informed decisions.
Kraft, which owns Oscar Mayer, said it was currently looking for ways to reduce sodium in many of its products.
Flavorful Alternatives
Heller said that any food with more than 480 mg per serving should be considered a high-sodium food.
It is not only salt that accounts for sodium, she said.
“It might say baking soda, baking powder, MSG or disodium phosphate,” she said. “Those all are other names for sodium. Also, things that are smoked — they’ve got sodium.”
Heller recommended spices and herbs like cayenne pepper, wasabe or rosemary to season foods, and fresh salsa also adds a lot of flavor. She said salt was an acquired taste, but people could wean themselves off it.
“Be prepared that it’s gonna be an adjustment,” she said. “You just have to have some patience. Always go for low-sodium alternatives. Use fresh, unprocessed food and spices and low-sodium alternatives. You can get rid of hundreds of milligrams of sodium just by using the low-sodium alternative to things like tomato paste and soup.”
Who should eat LOW SODIUM FOODS?
EVERYONE should be eating foods that are low in sodium. Especially those with Conjestive Heart Failure, Kidney Disease, Stroke, Meneire’s Disease-these are people that salt hinders their bodies from functioning properly. If we start our children on low sodium diets then they will get used to eating healthy and avoid some of the long term health problems that are associated with foods rich in “salt” or “sodium.”
Hello world!
Lets talk LOW SODIUM! Being on a Low Sodium diet can be difficult at times, I’m looking to trade recipes, product discoveries and articles for all those out there watching their sodium levels. If you have something to share, let me know about it.
Thanks!!
lowsaltgirl