The A to Z of Blood Pressure
You are here:
Directory | Blood Pressure |
Benefits Of Limiting Sodium Intake
By M. A. Fulmar
Approximately 40 percent of people with high blood pressure are sodium sensitive. In addition, people with diabetes tend to be more sensitive to high levels of sodium. Exactly what causes sodium sensitivity is not known. Genetics may play a role in some cases. There's no easy way to tell if you're sodium-sensitive other than to limit your consumption of sodium and see if doing so lowers your blood pressure. Medical tests can pinpoint your response to varying levels of sodium, but testing isn't practical or necessary.
If you're sensitive to sodium, following a low-sodium diet will likely produce a noticeable reduction in your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor also may recommend a diuretic medication that eliminates excess fluid from your blood. Even if you take a diuretic, you still need to avoid too much sodium. If you don't, the drug may cause you to lose excessive amounts of other essential minerals, such as potassium and magnesium.
The National High Blood Pressure Education Program, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, recommends that all Americans limit sodium to 2,400 mg a day. That's equivalent to about a teaspoon of salt. Many health professionals and organizations, including doctors in Mayo Clinic's Division of Hypertension, support this recommendation. Here's why:
* If you have high blood pressure and you're sodium-sensitive, reducing sodium can lower your blood pressure. Limiting sodium in combination with other lifestyle changes, such as following a healthful diet and increasing your activity level, may be enough to keep you from having to take medication to control your blood pressure.
* If you're taking blood pressure medication, limiting sodium can help increase the effectiveness of the drug.
* If you're at risk for high blood pressure, limiting sodium along with other lifestyle changes may help prevent development of the disease.
* If you're healthy, limiting sodium as part of a healthful diet is safe and reasonable. In addition, it may keep you from becoming at risk for the disease as you get older, when high blood pressure is more prevalent and your sensitivity to sodium often increases.
Although it hasn't been proven that reducing sodium will reduce your risk for high blood pressure, large population studies show that when people cut back on sodium their blood pressures decrease. There are also fewer deaths from heart attack and stroke. This suggests that the average person, especially one with a family history of high blood pressure, may benefit from reducing sodium.
Author Details:
M. A. Fulmar writes about medical matters for a number of sites including Simply Top Articles and Information Junkie.
Source: The A to Z of Blood Pressure
NOTE: This article may only be reproduced if this note, the source, the author details and all links remain in place and active.
Related Blood Pressure Articles:
- Blood Pressure
- 3 Diseases Caused By High Blood Pressure
- 3 Healthy Ways To Change Your Eating Habits
- 6 Diet Tips To Help Lower Your Cholesterol and Ward Off High Blood Pressure
- 7 Examples Of Beta Blockers
- 7 Ways To Cut Blood Pressure With Food
- 15 Easy Ways To Cut Down On Sodium In Your Diet
- Are High Blood Pressure Mediations Healthy For You?
- Avoiding Drugs That Raise Blood Pressure
- Balancing Your Saturated Fats & Unsaturated Fats
- Benefits Of Limiting Sodium Intake
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Dangers Of Hypertension
- High Blood Pressure Dangers
- How Much Sodium Is Too Much?
- How To Measure Your Own Blood Pressure
- Kidney Disease Caused By High Blood Pressure
- Measuring Your Blood Pressure Without A Doctor’s Visit
- Reading Your Blood Pressure
- Research Shows That Drinking Alcohol Can Raise Blood Pressure
- Researching Your Family History Of Blood Pressure
- Secondary High Blood Pressure
- Smoking & High Blood Pressure: Play With Fire & You Will Get Burned!
- The Four Groups Of Useful Diuretics
- The Importance Of A Check Up Before An Exercise Program
- The Process Of Reading Blood Pressure
- The Smoking Gun
- Tips On Lowering High Cholesterol Naturally
- Understanding How The Nervous System Regulates Blood Pressure
- Understanding The Balance Of Potassium And Sodium In Our Bodies
- What Is High Blood Pressure?
- 3 Items That Can Raise Your Blood Pressure:
- 5 Reasons To Prevent High Blood Pressure Before It Happens
- Doppler Ultrasound & Children
- Heredity And High Blood Pressure?
- High Blood Pressure: Personal Prevention
- How Do You Know If You Have High Blood Pressure?
- Keeping Your Blood Pressure Down By Cleansing The Body
- Pain Reducing Drugs
- Taking Responsibility
- Understanding Your Cardiovascular System
- Using Garlic Tablets To Prevent High Blood Pressure
- Using Nicotine Gums To Ward Off Smoking
Directory | Blood Pressure |