What reducing salt in food by 1 teaspoon daily will lead to
The daily elimination of one teaspoon of salt from the diet helps to reduce maximum blood pressure values as much as a conventional hypertension medication. This was the conclusion reached by researchers at the Feiberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University (Chicago).
A teaspoon of salt contains 2300 milligrams of sodium - this is the maximum daily allowance for people over 14 years of age, provided by the latest WHO nutritional recommendations, and it is also adhered to by national dietary associations in different countries. However, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to a maximum of 1,500 milligrams per day. But this requires a major effort, because all industrial food contains too much salt.
According to the WHO, high blood pressure (hypertension) affects one in three adults on earth. But, as scientists at Northwestern University found out, limiting salt leads to a decrease in sodium in the body and this lowers blood pressure and reduces the need for hypotensive medications.
"This is the first study to show that people who are already taking medication for hypertension can lower their blood pressure even further by limiting their sodium intake," CNN quoted study co-author Norrina Allen, a professor of preventive medicine, as saying.
"And, regardless of medication intake, we found that 70% to 75% of people can lower their blood pressure if they reduce the sodium content of their diet," says Prof. Allen.
One way to eliminate a teaspoon of salt from your diet is to read labels, as many prepared foods have added salt.
"Most people today consume too much salt because it's added to almost everything we eat," said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular disease prevention and wellness at the National Jewish Health Center in Denver.
In the study, the results of which were published in the journal JAMA, 213 volunteers between the ages of 50 and 75 were divided into two groups and assigned a high or low sodium diet. After following this diet for seven days, each person was switched to an alternative diet.
About 25% of the participants had normal blood pressure, and another 25% had untreated hypertension (meaning they were not taking any medication). Another 20% had their blood pressure under medication control, while 30% had elevated blood pressure even with treatment.
The first group was provided with excess salt by adding two packets of broth, each containing 1,100 milligrams of sodium, to their normal diet. The group that was on a low-salt diet received foods selected for them by nutritionists - so that they consumed no more than 500 milligrams of salt per day - a significant reduction compared to their usual diet.
According to the study, the drop in blood pressure during the low-sodium diet was rapid and dramatic.
"Compared to their usual diet, people lowered their blood pressure by about 6 millimeters of mercury, about the same effect you see with first-line hypotensive medications," reported Norrina Allen. - In addition, this reduction was fairly rapid and was consistent for people with normal or slightly elevated blood pressure and those already taking medications.
And no significant side effects were observed by the researchers, except for psychological discomfort.
"When you go from a high-salt diet to a low-salt diet, everything tastes bland," the expert explained. - 'But I want to encourage people to stick with it, because the taste buds adapt to the new taste within a couple of weeks or so, and the taste and flavor of food really comes back to you, and regular foods will be perceived as very salty to the taste. It takes a little longer for the taste buds to adapt, but the improvement in blood pressure is pretty quick."
The opportunity to bring high blood pressure closer to normal without medication is tempting, because hypotensive drugs can have many side effects, causing coughing, constipation or diarrhea, dizziness, weakness and lack of energy, headache, weight gain or loss, and erectile problems.
Refusing to dosalize cooked food and removing the salt shaker from the table is a good idea," the study authors said. But still, we get more salt from cooked food. Therefore, it is necessary to keep an eye on what we buy, to study labels. After all, salt is contained even in foods that do not seem salty to us - for example, bread and ketchup.
"You don't expect foods to have a lot of salt, but a couple slices of bread can contain 400 to 500 milligrams of salt; a pickle can contain a day's worth of sodium; and a bowl of soup can have enough salt for several days," Allen notes.
Recognized by cardiologists and nutritionists around the world, the DASH diet was specifically designed to combat hypertension, and it is based on reducing salt intake. The DASH is based on a simple principle: eat more vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products; limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat; and limit your sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day (that is one teaspoon of salt, including all added salt in prepared foods).
According to Prof. Freeman, no matter which diet plan is chosen, those who want to reduce their salt intake are better off preparing their own meals at home. Restaurant food often sins with excess salt, and it is impossible to control the quantity and quality of fats contained in it.
Excess salt in food is a worldwide trend and problem. At a recent conference with international participation "Nutriciology and dietetics for health saving of the Russian population" the chief nutritionist of the Ministry of Health of Russia, scientific director of the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Victor Tutelyan said that excessive salt consumption (along with excessive sugar in the diet) is one of the main mistakes in the diet of Russians and one of the main challenges faced by experts. Salt consumption in Russia is on average three times higher than the norm. This is especially characteristic of men (women are more likely to abuse sweets). The consequences of nutritional deficiencies are manifested in the form of early hypertension, excessive weight gain, obesity and diabetes.