Eating too much salt is the single biggest cause of high blood pressure.The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be.Because salt is often hidden in the foods we buy, it can be hard to know how much you’re eating or how to cut back. Here, you can find out how. Show
How does salt raise your blood pressure?Salt makes your body hold onto water. If you eat too much, the extra water in your blood means there is extra pressure on your blood vessel walls, raising your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, too much salt will raise it further, and may mean that any blood pressure medicines you’re taking don't work as well as they should. Cutting down on salt is one of the simplest ways to lower your blood pressure, and will start to make a difference very quickly, even within weeks. Eating too much salt can lead to all the health problems high blood pressure causes, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and some types of dementia. Salt and your kidneysYour kidneys play an important role in removing fluid and waste products from your body and in controlling your blood pressure. Eating too much salt makes them less able to do their job, raising your blood pressure and leading to kidney disease. Your kidneys filter out excess fluid from your blood, which then collects in your bladder to be removed as urine. They draw water out of your blood through osmosis – where the water travels from the blood which is relatively low in sodium into channels which are higher in sodium – sodium is the part of salt that raises your blood pressure. Eating too much salt raises the amount of sodium in your blood, throwing off this fine balance of sodium and water, and damaging the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys. Over time, the extra strain can damage the kidneys, leading to kidney disease. The kidneys are less able to do their job, raising your blood pressure and allowing fluid and waste products to build up in your body. Eventually this can lead to kidney failure and all the problems caused by high blood pressure, such as heart disease and stroke. As well as eating less salt, eating more potassium will help to look after your kidneys and your blood pressure – as potassium is involved in the process of drawing water from your blood and into your kidneys. Eating less salt can help your blood pressure medications to workIf you have high blood pressure and you’re taking a diuretic medication, this will help the kidneys to remove fluid from your blood. The sodium in salt counteracts this effect of the diuretics, stopping them from working well. Eating less salt will allow your medicines to work and your kidneys to do their job, lowering the amount of excess fluid in your blood and lowering your blood pressure. How much salt is too much?Adults should eat less than 6g of salt a day, but most of us eat much more. The latest figures show we’re eating around 8g a day on average. Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the foods we buy ready-made, like bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, sauces and condiments, as well as ready meals and takeaways. This hidden salt accounts for around three quarters (75%) of the salt we eat, only a small amount comes from the salt we add while cooking or at the table. How to eat less saltBy learning some simple food swaps, understanding food labels and adding different flavours while cooking, you can slash your salt intake and still eat delicious food. Tips for eating less saltThese ideas will help you get started.
Which foods are high in salt?Certain foods are particularly high in salt. Try to avoid them or find a lower-salt version:
You can also download the free FoodSwitch app which does the hard work for you. By scanning the barcode of a product the app will tell you how much salt it contains and offer suggestions for a similar but healthier alternative. Understanding food labelsMost of the salt we eat is hidden in the foods we buy, and similar products can vary dramatically in how much salt they contain. For example, two loaves of bread made by different companies may appear to be basically the same, but when you check the labels one contains 1g of salt per slice while the other contains half that. Check the nutrition information on food labels to see if it’s low, medium or high in salt, and compare with other products to find the healthy options. Checking labels for saltFollow these guidelines to choose lower salt foods.
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