Understanding Sodium

I'm often amazed by the number of people who worry a lot about food additives but pay little or not attention to sodium. Generally speaking, their concerns ought to be reversed.

Are you concerned about the effects of your diet on your blood pressure? I hope so - because this issue is important even if you've avoided hypertension up till now. Rates of high blood pressure increase steadily with age. Once you have high blood pressure, you run a significantly higher risk of heart disease and stroke no matter how well you control it. The best approach is to do whatever you can not to develop hypertension in the first place. (Optimal blood pressure is 120/80. A reading of 120-139/80-89 is considered "prehypertensive," while 140/90 or higher is indicative of high blood pressure.) Once you develop high blood pressure, you have to control it. Doing so may require medication, but there are other approaches that will make a significant difference. Here are the most important means of lowering blood pressure:

• Lose excess weight. For every twenty pounds you lose, your systolic blood pressure will go down 5 to 20 points.
• Use the DASH diet. This acronym stands for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension. It turns out that a low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy foods works as well as blood pressure medication on mild to moderate high blood pressure.
• Limit sodium intake. You should consume no more than 2,400mg of sodium per day - ideally, no more than 1,500. Doing so lowers your systolic blood pressure by 2 to 8 points. Try to limit consumption of highly processed foods and high-sodium condiments and use of the salt shaker.
• Exercise daily. This means 30 minutes per day of aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. The payoff: lowering your systolic blood pressure by 4 to 9 points.
• Limit alcohol intake. Consume no more than two drinks per day for men, one drink per day for women.

The implications? First of all, each one of these steps is important. Second, even though sodium is fourth on the list, it's extremely important to think through your consumption of this mineral and its effects on your health.

p. 121-122, Structure House by Gerard Musante.