Excess Salt Affects Hypertension, But Public Guidelines Have Been Set Too Low

Excess Salt Affects Hypertension, But Public Guidelines Have Been Set Too Low    

Study Reveals That Hypertension Risk Increases When There Is Double The Suggested Ingestion Of Sodium, And When There Is No Potassium To Balance Salt Intake.    

Excess salt intake is directly related to high blood pressure. However, sodium is necessary for many body functions, so it is not convenient to suppress salt completely. Which leaves with the question about how much salt should be considered harmful. World Health Organization guidelines suggest no more than 2 grams of sodium per day, which is 5 grams of salt. US guidelines recommend 2.5 grams of sodium per day, but consider that the ideal amount should not exceed 1.5 grams per day. A recent study has concluded that these limits are exceedingly low. It compared several communities, based on their salt intake and the number of cases of hypertension and stroke, and concluded that the risk on high blood pressure and stroke increased when the average daily intake was more than 5 grams per day. This is double the recommended by the guidelines. Most of the cases in which sodium intake was greater than 5 grams per day were in China, where there was a high prevalence of cases of high blood pressure and stroke. Also, researchers found that only 5% of the US population ingested more than 5 grams of salt per day. Also, they found that in communities that had a high sodium intake, the risk of hypertension and stroke lowered when there was consumption of potassium to balance the excess of sodium. Potassium is found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, potatoes, nuts, and beans. According to the researchers, public health strategies should be based on evidence. Additional details click here.