Have high blood pressure? I bet you were told not to salt your food - right? This is the advice most people with high blood pressure are given by their doctors. So, you don’t use salt when you cook and you don’t use salt at the table. Funny thing, this tactic doesn’t seem to be helping lower your blood pressure. So what gives?

The Truth

The truth of the matter is that most of the salt you consume is already in the food that you buy - whether it is from the grocery store, fast food place, or restaurant; seventy-seven percent to be exact.

So that means that the other 23% is split between naturally occurring salt and what you put on the food when you are cooking or while you are eating. Not very significant, is it? This amounts to a 10% effect on your sodium intake and is the reason why you’re not seeing your blood pressure drop even though you are being diligent about eating bland food.

If you would really like to see an improvement in your blood pressure, I recommend the following steps:

1. Buy unprocessed food - this means it doesn’t come in a box
2. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables - not canned
3. When you buy canned or processed foods, when possible, buy the brands that say "low-sodium"
4. When you cook your fresh, unprocessed foods, don’t add salt. Instead, use more spices and seasonings that don’t contain any salt. Mrs. Dash has a wide variety of seasonings that don’t contain salt
5. Read those labels. Stay away from name brands like Campbells, Kraft, Prego, and Stouffers. Even "healthy" brands like Lean Cuisine contain a large amount of salt
6. Limit your salt intake to 1,500mg of sodium per day. Unfortunately, most people consume an average of 3,300mg per day
7. When eating out, look for low-sodium items on the menu. Avoid ordering foods that have sauces and gravies

Now you know the facts about salt in your diet. If you have high blood pressure, are middle-aged or older, or an African American, it will serve you well to take this information to heart. Lower your salt intake and lead a healthier life.