To Your Health
March, 2018 (Vol. 12, Issue 03) |
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Healthy Eating Includes Avoiding Salt
By Editorial Staff
You're eating
10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. You're prioritizing whole grains over processed foods. You're focusing on lean meats and fish, and avoiding high-fat, sugary foods and drinks. That's all great, but if you're not minimizing your salt intake, you're still putting yourself at risk for high blood pressure.
People who consume a high-sodium diet are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure even if they eat a diet high in nutrients indicative of a healthy diet, according to research published in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association. Potassium, which has previously been associated with reductions in high blood pressure, was the sole nutrient (out of 80 examined in the study) to exert any influence on BP.
High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, heart attack and stroke, so it's no laughing matter if you're suffering from high BP or risking it. Sodium is present in many foods, but fast foods, restaurant foods, other prepared foods, and manufactured (e.g., chips, crackers, most of the other countless processed foods available these days) tend to have high levels of sodium. Click here for a list of common foods high in sodium courtesy of the AHA, and talk to your doctor for more information.
