Salt Intake and High Blood Pressure

I just wanted to comment on salt intake. I did my master’s degree thesis on the effects of salt intake and high blood pressure. Most past studies and even some today suggest that too much salt makes your blood pressure rise. I was convinced that this was true also and that’s why I wanted to do my thesis on it. To my surprise, after months of investigation into how bad salt is for your blood pressure I was astonished to find that newest studies from major sources show that there is no correlation between salt intake and high blood pressure. For about a year I ate a low salt diet and then decided not to do it anymore. My blood pressure readings stayed the same for the low salt year and the regular salt usage year. I still do not use table salt though, I use salt substitute. I am not saying that you don’t have to watch how much salt you eat but rather that salt should be used in moderation unless your doctor tells you otherwise. We need salt to regulate the fluids in our bodies so too little salt can be bad for you also.

 

The percentage of salt in a lot of foods is astonishing with heavily processed food being the worse. Even simple stuff like cottage cheese is loaded with salt. Unless we make the food ourselves its nearly impossible to avoid salt. They are now saying that the food we buy in the grocery aisles isn't even real food anymore because it has been processed so much. What gets me is that when you buy something that is sugar free you have to pay more for it and lots of people cant afford to do that so they eat poorly.

 

I have to watch my salt intake. I've found that if I don't exercise regularly and eat a bunch of potato chips everyday I'm in trouble. I try to avoid adding salt to food because it's already in the ingredients of some of my seasonings. Geri, if the salt doesn't cause high blood pressure, I'm curious to find out what does.

 

I believe, like Barbara said, that it varies for each person. For example, my parents. Both consumed the same meals, same amounts of salt, but my dad's blood pressure was too high. But mom's was fine. People react differently. I think the best advice for everyone though is moderation.

 

My husband was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and his doctor suggested lowering his sodium intake, too. I have been doing some reading and I'm not convinced that would help him as much as simply lowering his weight. This is not true for every person, as others have said. Does anyone else have experience controlling high blood pressure through diet, exercise or other means that don't include medication?

 

My blood pressure was slightly high but that's only when I don't exercise. As long as I go to the gym three times a week it stays low. It seems to me that every person is different and there are all kind of reasons why blood pressure would be high. I also use salt substitute instead of real salt since there is so much of it in food anyway. I am a label reader and often check the content of salt that's in food. I sure was surprised a few times to find that food I thought would be low turned out to be high in salt instead and vice versa.

 

Its different for everybody I believe. I would guess since I have no medical background that being overweight and not exercising contributes to high blood pressure. My study that I did on salt intake and high blood pressure was done for people over 65 years old who are more prone to have high blood pressure. If the same study had been done on younger people the results would be different. Our blood pressure goes up naturally as we age. I read that recently the guidelines for BP have changed. Now if you are 140 for the top number its not considered borderline high as much as it used to be.

 

I do check labels too but you make a good point about the exercise Geri. He also has knee pain that seems to get better when he exercises regularly. I'll have to see what I can do to get him up and moving more.

 

My top number is normally in the 120s. So if ever I go to the dr. and my bp is 140, she will consider it high for me. But like everyone has stated exercise seems to be the key to keeping my pressure down.