Sodium {unlike Na-thing else}

 

Sodium seems to be a hot topic lately for many Americans. With the increase in amount of consumers with hypertension, now up to 70 million Americans, low sodium diets are being pushed by many healthcare professionals. Now that people are beginning to realize how much a small amount of sodium affects the body, people are becoming more aware of the amounts they put in their own foods. You may find it alarming to realize that consuming ¼ teaspoon of table salt provides 600 mg of sodium--this is almost ⅓ of the daily sodium allowance for a 2 gram sodium diet! By decreasing sodium intake to 2-2.4 grams per day, most people will see improvements in the blood pressure due to the large amounts of sodium that we are currently exposed to.

 

Good to know….

Aside from eating a diet filled with nutrient-rich plant foods, you might consider current research findings for lowering blood pressure. As summarized in the journal article, studies are still continuing on whether there may be other things helpful in lowering blood pressure:

Potassium- shown to counteract the effects of sodium in some short-term trials; the results are not conclusive, but potassium should still be considered when combined with other elements in the diet.

Dietary magnesium- shows some ability to reduce blood vessel constriction.

Nitrates- converts to nitric oxide in the body and can improve endothelial function, promote vasodilation, and reduce blood pressure even in relatively small amounts in a healthy diet.

Flavonoids-- a variety of different flavonoids seem to improve endothelial function, increasing nitric oxide production and vasodilation, and inhibiting blood vessel constriction.

 

Tell me about blood pressure:

 

Blood pressure measures the force pushing outwards on your arterial walls.

Systolic: The top number, which is also the higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts).

Diastolic: The bottom number, which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting beats and refilling with blood.

 

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic mm Hg (upper #)		Diastolic mm Hg (lower #)
Normal	less than 120	and	less than 80
Prehypertension	120 – 139	or	80 – 89
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1	140 – 159	or	90 – 99
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2	160 or higher	or	100 or higher
Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed)	Higher than 180	or	Higher than 110

Source: American Heart Association

 

Who may be affected by high blood pressure:

 

Age	Men (%)	Women (%)
20-34	11.1	6.8
35-44	25.1	19.0
45-54	37.1	35.2
55-64	54.0	53.3
65-74	64.0	69.3
75 and older	66.7	78.5
All	34.1	32.7

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

 

 

 

When it comes to making your plan to conquer hypertension,  be sure to focus on the foods that you can have...instead of harping on the foods you can NOT have. Food and nutrition should be a positive experience, even when working with a nutrition related disease or condition.

Blood pressure savers:

Dark green leafy vegetables--spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, etc. {rich in potassium, magnesium, nitrates, and flavonoids}

Nuts and seeds {rich in potassium, magnesium, polyphenols}

Berries {sources of the flavonoid anthocyanin, and vitamin C}

Winter squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, citrus fruit, fresh or dried apricot, and raisins {rich in potassium}

Legumes {rich in potassium and magnesium}

 

Blood pressure assistants:

Cocoa and chocolate {provide potassium and magnesium, rich in polyphenols-flavanols}

Green and black tea {boost of flavonols}

 

DASH Diet:

Great for promoting eating a variety of foods in order to help lower blood pressure.

 

I would encourage you to keep track of your sodium intake to see just how much you are getting from your diet. You might be surprised by all of the hidden sodium in some of your favorite foods! If you do have hypertension, I would highly encourage you to meet with your healthcare professional to discuss changes in your diet or medications.

 

Main Article:

Collins, K. (2016). Power on the plate. The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 15-18.