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Cut salt to 6 grams a day to reduce blood pressure

Source: Reuters
Reduce salt intake to 6 grams to cut blood pressure

Our Summary

Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) released a study that shows a salt intake of only 6 grams a day could reduce the risk of stroke by 13% and heart disease by 10%.

The study by Dr. Susan Jebb indicates that a salt level of 6 grams a day, which is equal to 1 heaped teaspoon, is the optimum level for overall health.

Salt has long been known as a risk factor for high blood pressure and heart disease. Salt is 40% sodium which has the affect of retaining water in the body. It's this extra water in the blood vessels that increases blood pressure.

What does 6 grams of salt really mean? The hard part I've found is understanding food labeling. Most food labels have the quantity of sodium not salt. To convert sodium to salt, you need to multiply the amount by 2.5, i.e. 1 g of sodium/100 g = 2.5 grams of salt/100 g.

Washington University in St Louis has a site with a comprehensive list of foods and their sodium level which may help in understanding how much salt you consume each day. It seems the more processing of the foods the higher the salt level. The highest sodium levels are found in: processed meats, cheese, cereals and breads.

Reducing salt in the diet is just another good reason to reach for an apple instead of potato chips.

Related

• WELL or DASH diet

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