Sodium or simply salt is an essential item in every food item. Without salt, our food is simply tasteless. However, consumption of salt is also a major risk factor for high blood pressure and other health conditions.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension is a condition when the force of the blood pushing the artery walls is extremely high. If your blood pressure reading is 130/80 mm Hg or higher, you are suffering from high blood pressure. In this case, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to body parts.
This excess pressure stretches the arteries and blood vessels, leading to small tears in them. High blood pressure is the main reason behind sudden cardiac arrest, stroke and kidney diseases.
Hence, the first precautionary measure to manage high blood pressure, in addition to seeking high blood pressure treatment is to reduce the intake of salt in your diet.
But the question which strikes every patient is how much is the limit. In this guide, we will know how much sodium is considered healthy for your body.
Is sodium required for your body?
Sodium is an essential nutrient to balance and regulate the fluid movement in the body. It is a fact that sodium is a contributing factor to high blood pressure but a sufficient amount of sodium is also required for a healthy heart.
If your body does not have enough sodium, it will lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, loss of energy and dizziness. Extreme lack of salt in your diet can even lead to body shock and death.
How much salt is essential for your body?
As per the report published in The Hindu, our body needs five grams of salt every day according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization. However, a study suggests that Indian men consume 8.9 grams of salt and women take in 7.1 grams daily. Most of the salt is found in food items like biscuits, pickles, ketchup, salty spices and salted butter.
The consumption is even higher in obese patients and individuals with high blood pressure. So, if you have high blood pressure, too much salt intake will increase it even further.
Hence, cutting down on salt is one of the effective ways to lower your blood pressure within weeks.
Next, let us know the ways to reduce salt intake
Tips for limiting salt consumption
- Avoid adding excessive salt when cooking. At first, you might find that the food is not tasty, but your tastebuds will get accustomed to it.
- Don’t consume salty ready-made flavourings like soya sauce, mayonnaise and tomato ketchup. Instead, opt for natural seasonings.
- Avoid eating processed meat as it contains a high amount of salt
- Before buying the food items, check the labels of the food items and compare them with other options having low salt content.
- Choose fruits and vegetables that have low sodium. Avoid canned and frozen foods.
Wrapping up
High blood pressure is a serious condition. Make sure to seek high blood pressure treatment in Kolkata and also reduce your salt intake as much as possible to manage the disorder.
