10 benefits of low sodium diet that will help you in the longer run

Sodium in any diet is a very tricky thing to maintain. A low sodium diet has many health benefits. It is believed that one should always consume sodium in moderate quantities, as it opens the door to good health. Here are the top 10 reasons why low sodium intake is good for you. 

Salt knowns as sodium chloride, act as a binder and stabilizer in food items. It is the best food preservative that keeps bacteria at bay. The human body requires salt for various body functions like contracting and relaxing muscles, conducting nerve impulses and maintaining water and minerals levels. Sodium is also found in many food items naturally, which does not require its addition in food preparation or processing.

Here are a few health benefits of having a low sodium diet.

1. Our daily body requirement of sodium intake is 500 mg, but excess consumption can cause health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, calcium loss, and stroke. So, it is advised to not take a salt shaker to your food table.
2. It stops fluid retention, which could lead to swelling of the legs and feet.
3. A reduction in the intake of sodium will prevent you from bloating.
4. It maintains electrolyte balance, as sodium is one of the most important components of electrolyte. It will maintain the pH value of the body which ensures the muscle’s functionality and will prevent you from getting cramps.
5. It maintains the energy level of the body. A high sodium intake can cause the thickening of arteries because of which your heart rate increases as there is a low blood supply.
6. It prevents you from fatigue and tiredness after a workout session. 
7. It reduces the risk of stroke, as sodium regulates the blood flow in the body, so it is suggested that a vigilant amount of sodium can stave off heart problems.
8. It helps in weight loss, as less sodium will give you fewer food cravings which result in body weight loss.
9. A low sodium diet can be harmful for vision, as it controls the high blood pressure that is responsible for destroying blood vessels which can result in vision loss.
10. It is good for kidney patients, as people with poor kidney conditions can accumulate excess sodium in the body. Which can lead to high blood pressure, and swelling of the ankles.
    

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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How to lower blood pressure with a heart-healthy diet and exercise

    The best ways to lower blood pressure are losing weight, exercising regularly, and adopting a heart-healthy diet. 

    Research has found that losing almost 10 pounds can reduce blood pressure by 3 to 5 points, and regular physical activity can lower blood pressure by 5 to 7 points. 

    Depending on your lifestyle changes, it should take you at least a few months to lower blood pressure — and you will have to maintain those changes to sustain a healthy blood pressure level over time.
 
   High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects as many as 75 million Americans. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

Here are the best ways to lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of health complications.
How to lower blood pressure

Common causes of hypertension include a lack of regular exercise, a high-sodium diet, being overweight, and smoking cigarettes. Working to make positive changes in these areas can have a big impact on your blood pressure, says a cardiologist.

If you're overweight, losing even a small amount of weight can help lower your blood pressure. Shedding 10 pounds can drop your systolic blood pressure (the top number on your blood pressure reading) by as many as 10 to 12 points, the Dr. says.

For those with hypertension, research has found that regular physical activity can lower systolic blood pressure by an average of seven points and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in the reading) by an average of five points.

To get these benefits, Dr. recommends at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This can be a combination of aerobic exercise — like walking, jogging, or bike riding — and strength training with low weights and high repetitions.

Reducing your sodium intake can also improve your heart health and lower your blood pressure. For reference, the FDA recommends that people with hypertension consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.  

To decrease your sodium intake, steer clear of processed foods and don't add table salt to your meals. Research has found that the the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) — which is low in sodium and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats — can lower blood pressure in adults with hypertension.

Patel says the severity of hypertension and a patient's individual medical history determine the best course of treatment. These blood pressure levels range from:

    Elevated blood pressure: 120/70 to 129/79 mm Hg. Systolic blood pressure lower than 120 is considered normal — once it's higher than that, you should talk with your doctor about lifestyle changes. 

    Stage 1 hypertension: 130/80 to 139/89 mm Hg. Mild hypertension can typically be managed by losing weight, increasing physical activity and limiting salt intake. 

    Stage 2 hypertension: 140/90 or higher mm Hg. If your blood pressure is above 140/90, you can usually manage it with lifestyle changes — unless you've previously experienced a heart attack or stroke — in which case you may want to talk with your doctor about medication. 

    Hypertensive crisis: 180/120 or higher mm Hg. Hypertension this severe can be life-threatening, Patel says. You'll want to lower your blood pressure immediately with the help of medication and also work on serious lifestyle adjustments over time.

How quickly you can lower blood pressure and whether it lasts

According to the Dr., how quickly you're able to lower your blood pressure depends on the lifestyle factors you're addressing, and how high your blood pressure is to begin with. 

For example, if you have moderate to severe hypertension and begin exercising regularly, you are likely going to see a sharper reduction in your blood pressure when compared with someone who has mild hypertension and already works out regularly.

"It takes a few months to see good results, although some lifestyle changes can make a bigger impact," the Dr. says. "Blood pressure can drop by 10 to 20 points depending on what kind of change you're implementing."

Whether or not you notice any physical changes from lowering your blood pressure also depends on how you felt before. Many people don't notice any physical symptoms of hypertension, Patel says, but if you are someone who experienced headaches or blurred vision as a result of high blood pressure, those symptoms should go away once it's under control.

Even if you are able to lower your blood pressure, you'll need to continue monitoring it, because it can creep back up as you age. Overall, the key to lowering blood pressure with lifestyle changes is maintaining those healthy practices over the long-term. 

"Lifestyles changes need to be permanent, not just for two or three months," Dr. says. "Once you break that cycle, [your health] gets better — and then you need to sustain that."

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Cardiovascular disease and salt intake: Here’s why low-sodium diets may not help people with heart failure

Sodium is a mineral found naturally in a variety of foods. They are also added to foods for flavour and as part of preservatives and additives. While your body needs sodium to maintain normal fluid balance, consuming too much salt has been linked to many health conditions. Perhaps, people with heart disease are often recommended to follow a low-salt/low-sodium diet to improve their health.

However, a recent opinion says that there’s little proof that eating low-sodium diets may help people with heart ailments. A professor of Pediatrics, suggested that there isn’t enough evidence to back the medical organisations’ recommendations to steer clear of salt on people with various health issues. The Prof.  also highlights a recent report published to support his claims that diets low in sodium may not help prevent cardiovascular disease. For this study, researchers reviewed nine previous studies that involved 479 patients who were prescribed reduced sodium intake to treat heart failure. 

The report states that there were no data from these studies that showed that salt restriction reduced mortality or cardiac disease, nor did it affect whether the patients were admitted to the hospital or influence how long they had to stay. Of the four outpatient studies, two showed reduced sodium diet improve heart function, and two did not, the report added.

Of the various trials and analyses he includes in his report, she cites the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)’s review that examined the effects of both sodium and potassium intake on health. AHRQ reported that decreasing dietary sodium intake ‘most likely reduces’ blood pressure. It also reported that increasing potassium intake most likely has the same effect. He also includes other systematic reviews that found increased intake of fibre was associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Although both the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet have been linked to a reduced risk of heart failure, he argues that such diets may actually do more harm than good, while also adding that they would benefit from more controlled trials to prove their worth.

While people who take large amounts of salt might need to cut back their intake to reduce possible health risks and disease associated with high-sodium diet, more evidence is required before major health organisations update their current recommendations, according to the researcher. Furthermore, he suggests that doctors could advise people to make healthy holistic lifestyle changes in general, such as eating more healthfully and exercising regularly to improve heart health.

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