Shaking the Salt Habit Improves Cardiovascular Health

Shaking the Salt Habit Improves Cardiovascular Health
Rallie McAllister, M.D., M.P.H.

Most Americans realize that consuming too much salt can be hazardous to our health, but try as we might, many of us can't seem to shake the habit. Excessive salt consumption contributes to high blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease and the chief risk factor for stroke.

The prevalence of high blood pressure -- also known as hypertension -- has increased steadily in the United States over the past decade, and many experts believe that our penchant for salt is at least partly to blame. Currently, more than a third of Americans have high blood pressure, and another third have pre-hypertension, a condition in which blood pressure hovers slightly above normal.

If you've been diagnosed with hypertension or pre-hypertension, cutting back on salt consumption is an excellent way to help lower your blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health. Even if your blood pressure is perfectly normal now, consuming a low-salt diet could help you avoid developing hypertension as you grow older.

Table salt is a chemical compound composed of the minerals sodium and chloride. Healthy adults require less than 500 milligrams of sodium daily, the amount in a quarter teaspoon of salt. Current dietary recommendations are lenient: We're advised to limit sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams per day.

Most of us have trouble keeping salt out of our diets. Nutritional surveys show that around 95 percent of men and 75 percent of women in the United States regularly exceed the recommended sodium intake.

In a study known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, volunteers who limited their sodium consumption to 1,500 milligrams a day and followed the recommended diet achieved significant reductions in blood pressure, comparable to the effects of many prescription medications. In addition to being low in sodium and saturated fat, the DASH diet emphasizes potassium-rich fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.

An article published in the January 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that while cutting back on sodium can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, simultaneously increasing the amount of potassium in the diet can yield even greater benefits. In a study of nearly 3,000 adults, researchers at Loyola University found that individuals with favorable sodium-to-potassium ratios were 50 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those with less favorable ratios.

Scientists at The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu reported similar findings. In a study of nearly 5,600 adults over age 65, the researchers noted that individuals with the lowest levels of dietary potassium were 1.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke than those with the highest levels.

According to the Institute of Medicine, adults should consume about 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily to help lower blood pressure and to offset the deleterious effects of salt, unless they have a specific health condition that necessitates potassium restriction. While most Americans consume nearly twice the recommended amount of sodium, we typically consume only half the recommended amount of potassium.

Eating a diet rich in plant foods, especially raw fruits and vegetables, is an excellent way to reduce sodium consumption and boost potassium intake at the same time. Foods that are especially rich in potassium include wheat germ, sweet potatoes and tomato paste.

Other good sources of potassium are spinach, low-fat yogurt, tuna and bananas. Although potassium supplements are available, it's not a good idea to take them without a physician's supervision.

Cutting back on your sodium intake can be challenging. Only about 10 percent of dietary sodium comes from the saltshaker on your table -- the remainder is hidden in prepared, preserved and processed foods.

Reading nutrition labels can help you identify sodium-rich items, including canned soups, luncheon meats, prepared cheeses and snack foods. A serving of canned beef ravioli can contain almost 1,200 milligrams of sodium, and more than 1,400 milligrams may be lurking in a cup of chicken noodle soup.

Walking into a fast-food restaurant is like entering a salt mine. A double cheeseburger and an order of fries can pack a whopping 2,000 milligrams of sodium.

Choosing foods with no added salt is a good way to reduce your sodium intake. If your taste buds rebel, you can spice things up with herbs and low-sodium seasonings. It may take a week or two to adjust to the taste of a low-salt diet, but with a little patience and persistence, you can shake the salt habit for good.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her Website is www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.