Reducing The Amount Of Salt In The Diet Lowers Blood Pressure More Effectively Than You Thought

2023 Author: Abraham Higgins | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 23:16

Reducing the amount of salt in the diet lowers blood pressure more effectively than you thought

Almost everyone can benefit from less salt in their diet, new research shows. Such a preventive measure is useful not only for those who have already developed hypertension or are at risk of developing heart disease. This is evidenced by a large study published in The BMJ.

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Almost everyone can benefit from less salt in their diet, new research shows. Such a preventive measure is useful not only for those who have already developed hypertension or are at risk of developing heart disease. This is evidenced by a large study published in The BMJ.

High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. One of the most important causes of hypertension is getting large amounts of sodium (table salt) from food. Even if we ourselves never salt our food, we can still get excess salt. Manufacturers often add large quantities of it to add flavor and texture to the product, and as a preservative.

The new meta-analysis summarized data from 133 studies that looked at the effects of reduced dietary salt. Its results have shown the enormous effectiveness of this method of prevention.

Scientists have confirmed that the less salt a person eats, the lower his blood pressure.

The authors found compelling evidence that reducing the amount of sodium in the diet helps those who have already developed hypertension. An important finding of the study was that salt restrictions help lower blood pressure even in those who have not yet been diagnosed with hypertension.

"The importance of this study is that it shows that reducing sodium intake leads to lower blood pressure in different populations, not just people who are considered particularly salt-sensitive, such as African Americans," cardiologist Isilma Fegrus told CNN. Icilma Fergus) of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. She noted that this is a preventive measure of great effectiveness.

In addition to reducing dietary salt pressure in people from different populations, scientists have found that it is most effective for the elderly, blacks, and those who have already developed hypertension.

Previously, the same group of scientists published a study that assessed the effect of salt on the gut microbiota, the immune system and the condition of small vessels, damage to which can lead to dementia or kidney failure.

FengHe of Queen Mary University in London, lead author of the study, stressed that the results of both new and previous work show that limiting the amount of salt in the diet can be of great benefit.