High blood pressure is a health issue that causes innumerable fatalities in the United States each year. Further, if it doesn't kill you, it can still lead to major problems, including heart attack and stroke. And sodium is an ingredient of a high blood pressure diet as it is one of the major high blood pressure causes. Consequently, this article will help you learn about the role of sodium in the development of high blood pressure.
Read the Ingredients
Unfortunately, given its prevalence, a good amount of the sodium you digest comes from processed foods. A good habit to develop, before buying such food, is to read the ingredients label. Unfortunately, those labels, with their multisyllabic words, seem like they aren't written in English. You feel as if you need a chemistry degree to understand them. Well, to help, remember that foods that contain ingredients with the word "sodium" in them can be bad news. For example, take disodium phosp hate and monosodium glutamate (MSG). The word "sodium" is visible. Miminize your use of such ingredients and foods.
Also, the US FDA , to aid people's dietary choices, developed sodium guidelines. For example, "low sodium" equates to 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving. Or, as another example, 5 milligrams or less of sodium per serving is "salt free" food. Google FDA sodium for the entire guide. If necessary, bring it with you to the grocery store to allow for quick and easy interpretation when you shop.
Further, highly processed foods often contain high levels of sodium, making them contributory to a high blood pressure diet. I can only imagine the thoughts going through your head now. You're busy and have no time to cook. You rely on frozen dinners and canned goods to quickly whip something up for you and your family. Unfortunately, a good amount of these foods are laced with sodium.
The Infamous Salt Shaker – One of the More Prominent High Blood Pressure Causes
Finally, like most people, you probably grab for the salt shaker at the center of your dining room table to add some quick flavor to your sometimes bland food. And, to compound the matter, you may be adding salt to processed food that already contains high levels of sodium. So resist the "salt shaker" temptation. Perhaps you might even empty your salt shaker. Further, use natural herbs to add flavor to your food. Consider onions or thyme, for example. This may be hard to do, but it's in your body's best interest.
As you can see, sodium not only presents a high blood pressure health issue, but also is hard to avoid given our busy lives. If you look at your food labels, especially those of processed foods, you'll start to see sodium everywhere. So remember to avoid ingredients with the word "sodium" in them as sodium can play a huge role in a high blood pressure diet. Also, use th e Food and Drug Administration guidelines to monitor your sodium use. And put down that salt shaker!
Take these small, proactive steps and you are on your way to eliminating some high blood pressure causes and earning better health.