If you have high blood pressure, eating less sodium is at the core of the healthy lifestyle changes recommended by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI. According to the Mayo Clinic, sodium is an essential mineral that helps maintain fluid balance, helps transmit nerve impulses and influences contraction and relaxation of muscles. However, too much sodium in the body can lead to high blood pressure.
Sodium Balance
Normally, the kidneys maintain the proper amount of sodium in the body for optimal health. When sodium levels are high, the kidneys excrete excess sodium in the urine. If the kidneys can't excrete enough sodium, however, it builds up in the blood. The sodium attracts and holds water, leading to increased blood volume. As described by the Mayo Clinic, the increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your vessels, increasing pressure in your arteries.
Sodium Sensitivity
Some people are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than others. If you're sodium sensitive, you retain sodium more easily -- leading to fluid retention and increased blood pressure. According to the NHLBI, African-Americans and the elderly in particular tend to be more sodium sensitive. They also report that one in three American adults have high blood pressure. The risk increases with age -- if you are 50-years-old now, there is a 90 percent chance that your will develop high blood pressure. Left untreated, it can lead to health problems such as heart disease, stroke kidney disease and congestive heart failure.
Sodium Recommendation
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium intake to 2,300 mg a day. However, if you have high blood pressure, it is best to limit intake to no more that 1,500 mg sodium daily. The DASH --Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension--sodium study, supported by the NHLBI, compared sodium intakes of 3,000 mg, 2,300 mg and 1,500 mg daily and found that those with the lowest intake had the best improvement in their blood pressure level.
High Sodium Foods
On average, Americans eat 3,600 mg sodium a day -- men 4,200 mg and women 3,300 mg, according to the NHLBI. Processed foods contribute the most at 75 percent, followed by added salt, or sodium chloride. Some processed foods that are high in salt include regular canned vegetables and soups, frozen dinners, lunch meats, instant and ready-to-eat cereals, flavored rice and pasta mixes, salty chips and other snacks, pickles, relish, and condiments like soy sauce, relish, Worcestershire sauce and BBQ sauce.
Reducing Sodium Intake
The DASH diet guide includes several recommendations for using less salt or sodium. For vegetables, buy fresh, plain frozen or canned "with no salt added." Choose fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Look for low- or reduced-sodium or no-salt-added versions of foods. Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium. Choose "convenience" foods that are low in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths and salad dressings. Cook rice, pasta and hot cereal without salt. Use herbs, spices and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
Food Labels
Read labels of packaged foods to choose products that are low in sodium. A product labeled sodium free or salt free has no more than 5 mg sodium; very low sodium has no more than 35 mg; low sodium has no more than 140 mg; a low-sodium meal has no more than 140 mg per 3.5 oz; reduced or less sodium has at least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version; light in sodium has 50 percent less than the regular version and unsalted or no salt added has no salt added to the product during processing. When looking at the Nutrition Facts panel, be sure to look at the serving size as well as the sodium mg.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet includes foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products -- foods high in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as protein and fiber. It also includes whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. In studies sponsored by the NHLBI, participants following the DASH diet reduced blood pressure more than those on a typical American diet. The DASH-sodium study combined this heart-healthy diet with sodium reduction and found even greater benefit.
