Commercially prepared foods lurking in your pantry and freezer may send you up high blood pressure alley. A serving of canned soup or your favorite grilled chicken breast sandwich typically contains nearly half of your recommended daily intake of sodium. While sodium is essential for vital functions, healthy adults need only 2400 mg of sodium per day. If you are African American, have high blood pressure or are over 40, consume no more than 1500 mg per day.
Function
Sodium is an essential mineral your body needs to transmit nerve impulses from your nervous system to your heart, respiratory muscles and skeletal muscles. Sodium helps keep your blood volume and blood pressure at healthy levels. Without adequate sodium intake, you will have difficulty producing energy for your muscle cells, and your heart will not properly circulate blood. Drinking a sports beverage ensures you maintain your blood volume by replenishing your sodium levels, as sodium helps your body retain fluids and increases your desire to drink, according to a 2010 article by Douglas Kalman, Ph.D., and colleagues, published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Excess Sodium
An average American diet consists of 4000 mg of sodium per day -- almost double the recommended intake for healthy adults. Prolonged, excessive sodium intake overstimulates proteins, enzymes and hormones in your body to constrict small arteries and to retain water. Both effects result in an increase in your blood pressure. This means your heart is pumping a larger volume of blood against more narrow arteries, exerting more force. Over time, high blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease and kidney disease. If you have normal blood pressure, decreasing your sodium intake from 4000 mg to 2000 mg can reduce your blood pressure by 2 to 3 mm of mercury, according to a 2007 article by Dr. Shelby Scott, published in "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal."
Diet Tips
Dividing your sodium intake by five or six small meals is one way to "pass the salt," whether your limit is close to 2400 or 1500 mg of sodium per day. Lemon and vinegar are excellent substitutes without the added sodium. Cook with seasonal vegetables, enjoying their peak flavor and reducing your need to add salt. Reading the nutritional labels of all the foods you buy will help you identify high-sodium items. For instance, a ½ cup of cottage cheese contains about 370 mg of sodium, 70 mg too high if you were following a 1500-mg, five-meal-a-day plan.
Lifestyle Modifications
Changing your eating habits and physical activity levels are paramount in managing sodium-induced high blood pressure, especially if you have coexisting illnesses such as diabetes and high blood cholesterol. Limiting your consumption of restaurant, convenience and commercially packaged foods will drastically cut your sodium intake. Cook low-sodium meals at home and pack your lunch. Consider engaging in aerobic exercise five or more days per week at a moderate intensity to lower your blood pressure. You may do 30 minutes in one session or two 15-minute sessions per day.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Most Americans Should Consume Less Sodium (1,500 mg/Day or Less); March 27, 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute; Sodium (Chloride); Jane Higdon; February 2004
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; A Review of Hydration; Douglas Kalman, Ph.D., et al.; April 2010
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Essential Hypertension: Lifestyle Intervention Treatments; Shelby Scott, M.D.; July/August 2007
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