If you give a lick about hearth health, you might want to consider cutting back on your daily salt intake.
High blood pressure affects about 1 in 3 adults and is the leading cause of mortality in the world, contributing to heart attacks, heart failure, kidney damage and stroke.
While it’s long been known that there is a connection between sodium and hypertension, a new study led by scientists at Vanderbilt University finds that eliminating one teaspoon of salt from your daily regimen can notably reduce systolic blood pressure … that’s the top number in a blood pressure reading.
In fact, this slight reduction is just as effective as taking common blood pressure medicines. Even those who don’t have hypertension can see a healthy drop in their blood pressure from decreasing their daily sodium intake.
In fact, about 75% of all people — whether they take hypertension medications or not — are expected to see a reduction in their blood pressure if they lower their sodium intake.
Avoiding sodium isn’t always easy. Many processed foods like canned soups or frozen meals are high in sodium to enhance the flavor. Even store-bought foods people may not expect to be high in sodium, like a slice of bread, could be harboring a significant portion of a day’s worth of salt.
Researchers said that when reducing sodium, food may initially taste bland.
But they suggest we stick with it, because most people’s taste buds will adjust to the lower sodium diet within a couple of weeks.
So, take heart — just a little less salt will go a long way toward keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level.