Salt And High Blood Pressure.

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I remember my grandfather having to eat his foods without salt, because they said that sodium would cause him to have another stroke. When I reached the age to go get my physical and heart stuff, I asked about salt. He told me that salt was just fine, and that long term studies showed that medication and behavioral changes would bring down BP better than diets. I’d rather walk a few miles than eat saltless foods. Ha ha.
 

agnosticpipe

Lifer
Nov 3, 2013
3,412
3,824
In the sticks in Mississippi
I've always been a salty person. (heh, heh) That's to say I favor salty food rather than sweet. When I was a kid in grade school me and my friends used to go to the feed store and buy rabbit salt licks, which look like a hockey puck with a hole in the middle. We'd put a string through the hole and wear them around our necks to school. (that didn't go over too big with the concerned adults)

Now I like to snack on mild salt a little now and then. I put a little in a bowl and keep it on the end table by my couch. I live alone now so no one gives me any shit about doing that, not even my doctor when I told him. Said, just don't over do it.

This is my current favorite salt, sea salt from Iceland with little bits of sea weed in it. Quite mild and savory.

4F187C07-7A08-498E-8064-17D7F6EAE519_1_201_a.jpeg
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,622
If you are adding salt to already salty foods, that might be a problem. People who work outdoors in heat may actually need to up their salt intake to keep it balanced. Salt, eggs, coffee, and fats have all been through being seen as health hazards and then have been reconsidered.
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
12,309
18,378
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Sugar in any amount over what a body needs to survive is definitely not efficacious. Fake or man made sugars are really bad. The body doesn't know what to do with artificial sweeteners so, turns them into fat.

To add to my post above, salt substitutes aren't. I haven't found one for a substitute. I've replaced salt with other things but, no such thing as a salt substitute. In my opinion anyway. Nothing tastes like or, is even similar to salt but ... salt.

What most of us, of an earlier generation, heard from our mothers is true today. "All things in moderation."
 

Zero

Lifer
Apr 9, 2021
1,746
13,256
When I entered my late 40s, I started to notice how my diet influenced how I felt. I eventually invested in a heart monitor. One day I ordered 6 crab cakes from Long John Silver's on my way home from work, thinking it was a healthy option over other fastfood. That night I felt like utter crap, I took my BP and it was in the red (143/95). Turns out the crab cake contains up to 880mg of sodium, and I ingested up to 5,280mg. I've been trying to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into my eating habits, mainly raw garlic, olive oil, avocados, ect...my annual checkup last year yielded good results for my BP at the age of 50. Alcohol and tobacco are my only vices; as mentioned, moderation is the key. YMMV due to genetics. KIMG1836~2.JPG
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
12,309
18,378
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
My family has some history of high blood pressure but my doctor has never said anything about salt.
Trust me, waiting for your doctor to tell you may result in him ordering you to reduce salt. Take a hard look at your intake now, self-analyze and, if you are over indulging in salt, reduce your intake now. If you are being reasonable, celebrate your good fortune and smarts and over indulge, just this once. Well, if you wish!
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,777
36,522
72
Sydney, Australia
I grew up in a family of salt lovers. Our dining table place settings used to include individual soy sauce servers !

But that was in tropical Malaysia.
If you perspire a lot, you need to replace salt loss.
At school cross-country runs, we were met at the finish line by our sports master handing out salt tablets and water.

Living in temperate Sydney, my salt intake has reduced considerably. Although it can get very hot here in our summers.
I always rehydrate with Gatorade or Hydralyte.
I still love my Vegemite - but this is an occasional treat than a regular breakfast item.

Some years ago I was on a reduced salt diet - self-imposed, or more correctly, spouse-imposed
We were having lunch at a friend's house when I complimented her on the delicious bread 😋.
Turned out it wasn't the bread - it was the salted butter 🙄😂

If there is a history of high blood pressure or strokes, then LESS salt rather than NO. salt.
If you sweat heaps, then you need to replace, rather than cut down/out.
There are medical conditions where you need strict salt restriction, but these are pretty rare.

There are FEW uniform rules for everyone.
We are individuals.
And doctors should be aware of that and not hand out blanket advice.
 
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TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,427
Sweden
I'm lucky I don't have that problem (yet, as I am young). I benefit from eating more salt instead. A teaspoon of salt a day in some warm water helps against dizziness and almost fainting when standing up. Although fainting is a surprisingly nice feeling, ha ha, but possible very dangerous.
 

LOREN

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2019
619
1,050
66
Illinois -> Florida
I've always been a salty person. (heh, heh) That's to say I favor salty food rather than sweet. When I was a kid in grade school me and my friends used to go to the feed store and buy rabbit salt licks, which look like a hockey puck with a hole in the middle. We'd put a string through the hole and wear them around our necks to school. (that didn't go over too big with the concerned adults)

Now I like to snack on mild salt a little now and then. I put a little in a bowl and keep it on the end table by my couch. I live alone now so no one gives me any shit about doing that, not even my doctor when I told him. Said, just don't over do it.

This is my current favorite salt, sea salt from Iceland with little bits of sea weed in it. Quite mild and savory.

View attachment 202665
I used to take a chunk of salt from our water softener and put it my mouth like it was Copenhagen and keep it all day.
 
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Pipeoff

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 22, 2021
928
1,556
Western New York
The original Morton salt company is behind my property, deep wells are drilled then hot water is injected dissolving same and piped back to plant where retorts boil off the water result table salt. I am a heart patient with pace maker caused by plack in the major arteries. Don’t add salt to food but addicted to salty pretzels hand made in PA. My spring fed well water is so pure that it should be sold by the gallon.my mother in law is worried that our house will fall into a hole from the mine.
 

canucklehead

Lifer
Aug 1, 2018
2,862
15,355
Alberta
Salt is fine as long as it is sea salt or himalayan. The problem with "cheap" salt is the added iodine. Avoid that one.
The problem with Himalayan salt is its lack of iodine, using it as your sole salt source can and often does lead to iodine deficiency and thyroid disease. Iodine is added to salt for a good reason, and is not unhealthy. If you are just eating just Himalayan salt you should at least be taking in supplemental dietary iodine, kelp or other seaweed works well.
 

camaguey

Can't Leave
Jul 25, 2021
300
476
west indies
Sure , but the iodine added is not natural. That may lead to tyroid disease. Short term is no problem , but long term synthetic iodine consumption may be harmfull.
 
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bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,229
41,508
RTP, NC. USA
Sure , but the iodine added is not natural. That may lead to tyroid disease. Short term is no problem , but long term synthetic iodine consumption may be harmfull.
Depends on where you live and what your diet is like. Iodine was added for the people in US because lack of iodine intake in US. If you are in Japan with diet that contains plenty of iodine, you won't need it. Kosher salt also doesn't have iodine.