Sodium and Your Blood Pressure

Q. My doctor has urged me to eat a low-sodium diet, but everything tastes so bland! Why is this so important?

Humans require only a small amount of sodium in our diet for good health. But many people crave salt. And it can be found just about everywhere these days -- especially in processed foods, where salt is used to preserve the product and enhance its flavor.

Unfortunately, research shows that high sodium intake is linked with high blood pressure (hypertension). Also, some people are "salt-sensitive," meaning that they are more likely to develop high blood pressure when eating salt.

Both high blood pressure and salt-sensitivity are common in people with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Also, people with type 1 diabetes who have kidney damage are at high risk for high blood pressure.

So what's the big deal? High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. That's true for all people, not just those with diabetes. But you can help keep your heart healthy with the right diet.

Recommendations: Hold The Salt

Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? The American Diabetes Association recommends limiting sodium intake to 2,400 mg (2.4 g) or sodium chloride (salt) to 6,000 mg (6 g) per day.

There are two values here, because the element sodium makes up only about 40 percent of table salt (sodium chloride) by weight. So all recommended daily allowances of sodium may be expressed as grams of table salt or as grams of sodium. One teaspoonful of table salt contains about two grams of sodium, and about five grams of salt.

In addition to watching your sodium intake, it's important to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. This too will help you fight hypertension -- and help you get enough potassium, magnesium, calcium and other essential nutrients.

Sheldon H. Gottlieb, MD, FACC, is a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Division of Cardiology, in Baltimore, Md. He also directs the Diabetes-Heart Failure Program at Johns Hopkins HealthCare, LLC.

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