Salt is a common food additive, and many people also like to sprinkle a little on their food. Salt, properly called sodium chloride, and is a very important mineral in the body. Sodium is used by the kidneys to balance water and electrolytes, which are other chemical substances like chloride and potassium. Sodium helps the body retain water, and doesn't actually cause hypertension; however, it often makes it worse.
Water
Norma Menthey's book "Fluid and Electrolyte Balance: Nursing Considerations" states the male human body is about 60 percent water; females, who have more body fat, have a slightly lower percentage of water. Water in the body is both extracellular --- outside of the body cells --- and intracellular, or inside the cells. Too much water is just as bad for the body as too little, and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and chloride are used by the kidneys to move the water in or out of the cells. Water in the body moves through a cell membrane in the direction of higher concentration of sodium; in other words, water moves toward the sodium.
Sodium
We get our sodium by eating salt in food, although some medications also have sodium. The body can usually excrete the extra salt if we eat a little too much, and of course we lose some through perspiration. But about 20 people out of every 100 have a genetic characteristic that causes them to retain sodium even when they have too much in the body. The other problem is that when we eat salty foods, they make us thirsty, so we drink more. The combination of the genetic characteristic, salt intake and extra water can cause an increase in blood pressure. If you don't have hypertension, a little extra salt may not do any harm, but if you do have hypertension, the salt can cause big problems even though it doesn't actually cause the hypertension.
Filtration
Within each kidney is a filtration system in which water and electrolytes transfer through cell membranes. Waste products and excess water are excreted in the urine, but the sodium is returned to the bloodstream. If the level of sodium in the body is too high, however, the body retains water, which can make the blood pressure go up.
How Much Salt Should You Eat?
Cleveland Clinic says salt should be restricted to no more than 1,500 mg of salt daily in accordance with American Heart Association recommendations. One tsp. of salt has about 2,400 mg of sodium. Some foods are higher in salt than others, such as bacon, sausage, canned soups, snack foods and pickled foods. Avoid these if you have hypertension.
Considerations and Warnings
High blood pressure is a serious condition. You may need medication in addition to dietary changes. Decreasing the amount of salt in your diet could be helpful, but if you think or know that you have high blood pressure, you should always consult with a health care professional.
