Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Salt and high blood pressure - are you killing yourself with salt?

By Doctor Gordon Cameron

Too much salt is a major cause of blood pressure problems for many people. The high concentrations of sodium in many of the foods we eat today results in blood pressure readings that creep upwards - causing strokes and heart attacks.

You can now buy simple home blood pressure monitor devices. These allow you to check your readings as often as you like. Try an experiment and check the levels of BP before and then after a salty meal - the results will shock you. The rise in pressure levels caused by salt is greater if you have spent time trying to keep salt out of your diet for a while before you check the results.

But what about those amongst us who are more sensitive to salt or sodium intake. We don't all react in the same way do we. This might be genetic or it might be a way that our body metabolism has adapted over the years to the change that our modern diet and lifestyle brings.

OK - so how do you know if you are salt sensitive?

Here's how to decide if salt is an issue for you. Start by searching Amazon for an inexpensive home blood pressure machine. Buy one you like the look of and then spend a week or so getting to know how it works. As soon as you've figured it out then keep a note of your BP readings once a day for at least a week. Once that's done then here's your salt free challenge.

The eating plan is not complicated. You want to cut salt out of your diet almost completely. Consume only fruit or fruit smoothies or yogurt for seven days. Nothing else. Drink water or tea or coffee. That should ensure almost zero salt. Check your BP readings - what happens?

Last step - treat yourself to a meal with lots of salt added. If you are one of those who react then you'll notice the difference and feel the effects immediately. Your BP readings will go up very quickly. If this applies to you then you should act to reduce salt from your diet immediately.

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