Heart Health - Salt

People don’t realize how much salt from foods and medications affects their blood pressure. The usual limit is 2300 mg/day of sodium – about one teaspoonful of salt.

People with high blood pressure should limit their sodium intake to 1500mg/day. Most people get double this amount. Many people think they don’t eat much salt because they don’t use the salt shaker, but most comes from prepared foods. One can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup has about 2000mg of sodium, some restaurant meals contain over 5000mg.

Blood pressure is the force that is created when the heart pumps blood into the blood vessels. High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and adds stress to blood vessels and organs thereby increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. Lifestyle modifications are helpful in reducing blood pressure as well as other cardiovascular risk factors. Modifications include the following: weight reduction, regular physical activity, sodium reduction, smoking cessation, and moderate alcohol consumption.