Q: Any time I eat foods containing salt my BP skyrockets and yet when I avoid salt I get leg cramps. What should I do?
A: Moderation is the key. I would avoid eating foods high in salt unless it was a very hot day and I had been digging ditches or participating is some other strenuous activity. The current recommendation for daily salt intake is 2,300mg a day or 1,500mg a day if you are over age 51.
2,300 mg is equal to one teaspoon of salt a day. Granted Chinese food is not as tasty without the soy sauce but many restaurants will hold the soy if you ask. For more information about salt in foods go to this page at MayoClinic.com.
(37 votes, average: 3.35 out of 5)
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What about using Morton Lite Salt, 50 percent less sodium?
What about drinking enough WATER? Ever observe that big white block of salt right next to the water trough at a DAIRY FARM? Oh, I forgot! There’s no money in sick livestock, or healthy PEOPLE!
That would just be 50% less bad salt. Switch over to Himalayan pink salt and you don’t have to worry about halving it.
Himalayan Pink Salt is still 98.35% sodium chloride. So effect on BP would be similar to sea salt.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/pinksalt.php
Will DR. ROWENA clarify please?
WTH? What about an answer to the second portion of the question, about LEG CRAMPS?”
The question unanswered is what about the leg cramps. Cutting down salt in foods, OK, but soy sauce is not the only culprit carrying salt. some will think, oh, I dont eat chinese so I guess Im OK. Not a good answer for her question
Any objections to coconut water? Recently I came up with high blood pressure. Now I am eating low sodium foods, eliminating salt as much as possible, eating no processed or canned food and my blood pressure is down to normal. I also lost 10 lbs. People try to say it’s because my food doesn’t taste good. Not true. Most things taste better as I’m experimenting with a lot of seasoning. Since salt is addictive I didn’t really want it after awhile. Pop corn is the exception so I don’t eat it. I eat out a lot so that is when I get the needed minimum of 500 mg of salt. It’s hard to avoid even though I try to choose carefully from the menu. I haven’t experienced leg cramps but I’m interested in the magnesium and potassium answers. I’m drinking coconut water – does anyone know of objections to it? I will look into magnesium. I drink milk and take calcium so that should be all right.
Coconut water isn’t the worst but I use it in moderation because of the sugar content. I keep my diet at 15g or less of sugar per day.
I take magnesium and calcium every day. the magnesium was recommended for cramp but i also find it good for my joints. If I dont take it my joints really ache
I take magnesium & calcium for joints as well, and I still get leg cramps occasionally. I can’t relate them to anything
even days that I don’t drink as much water. I cut down my salt intake when I started my family leg cramps did not start until many years later.
Coconut water was recommended by my doctor. It is rich in Potassium but go easy on it because 8oz contains about 16g of sugar also.
Avoiding sodium chloride is important as it contains no useful nutrients. However, ingestion of Himalayan pink salt is vital to the body. It contains over 60 trace minerals.
Your leg cramps could be because of a magnesium deficiency, which is common in the American diet. I learned I had that through a Spectracell blood test (http://www.spectracell.com/mnt/). I supplement with topical magnesium now, which also helps my hypertension. Oral magnesium can create a laxative effect. “The Magnesium Miracle” is an excellent book on the topic of magnesium.
fyi, Himalayan Pink salt is about 98% Sodium Chloride (with small amounts of about 9 other minerals), so I’d go easy on using it.
Magnesium glycinate is a form that is less likely to cause diarrhea. It works for me.
Calcium and magnesium pills on a daily basis. Become aware of getting more potassium in the diet to counter-act the salt. Don’t take potassium pills — get it through eating potatoes, bananas, fruits and veggies.
Also drink water. You can google a list of high potassium foods.
I supplement my diet with potassium. Foods such as bananas contain potassium. When I eat bananas, I do not get leg cramps. You can search the internet for other potassium rich foods.
Also, my understanding is that sea salt contains less sodium. I have not tried this because most the time I do without salt. You will have to do more internet research.
Bob has been doing his school work,best salt for man and animals. Leg cramps:one might try creatine,it works for me. been using it for years,i do a lot of hiking in the mountains. (I’m only 68 still young)
I use creatine monohydrate when I need to study too. Along with aniracetam, which really helps my brain function better.
ACCORDING WITH THE BRITISH MEDICAL ASS. THE LATEST STUDY ON SALT, INDICATES THAT IS A MITH THAT CAUSE MANY
BAD EFFECTS…ON THE CONTRARY…EVERYTHING IN MODERATION….SALT DOES NOT CAUSE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TO RAISE, THE MANUFACTURERS OF THOSE PAID BY THE LABS WILL TELL YOU OTHERWISE, THEY ARE IN TO SELL DRUGS!!!!
Caps Lock in the off mode is easier on the eyes. Thanks.
I Totally agree your leg cramps are due to being low in magnesium. You will see a difference right away when you take magnesium, its called spark of life for a reason. If I eat something salty, I will then eat a portion of or a small baked potato ( microwave) the potassium in the potato brings the BP down and overcomes the salt overbalance. Purple potatoes are the best for BP if not available a regular potato, this is the best food for potassium and bringing BP down rather quickly too. Test this for yourself it truly works.
Watch your intake or alcohol. Eats up the potassium, therefore causes leg cramps. I get toe cramps. SO stick a banana in the glass of Guinness and have a great night.
Please tell me where to find purple potatoes. I have looked in the stores and only find “red” potatoes. Are purple and red the same thing you are referring to? Thank you!
Please tell me where to find purple potatoes. I have looked in the stores and only find “red” potatoes. Are purple and red the same thing you are referring to? Thank you!
Rebecca, purple potatoes are not the same as red. They’re harder to find but my health food store has them. If you have a store like that, give them a try.
Good Luck!
No, purple potatoes are not the same as red. Purple potatoes have purple skins and flesh. Try Whole Foods or a specialty grocery.
costco has a bag of mixed purple. red and fingerling potatoes
I certainly find that leg cramps occur if I cut down on salt and conversely if I step up the salt they cease.I will try potassium rich foods such as bananas. I think the jury may still be out on the effect of salt on HBP – in hot climate one certainly needs a reasonable intake of salt.
I’ve heard that more than evarage amounts of salt do not seem to affect some peoples’ blood pressure but that amount does affect others. If so, the problem then is who is who and how can we find out?
Salt, even in relative small amounts, definitely skyrockets my BP. I’ve monitored it for years and there is absolutely no doubt.
Supposedly 1 in 3 people are sodium sensitive with respect to elevated BP
I have to agree with my friend who types in all CAPS. Salt is only an issue if you have too much salt and kidneys that don’t work correctly. The issue with BP is more life style and if anything a lack of potassium. Potassium exchange in the kidneys is at the sodium expense. Yes for most people moderation is key in addition to balanced electrolyte intake, exercise, etc.
Purple potatoes are kind of a boutique item in grocery stores. They are small, around the size of walnuts and not any tastier than other colors. But some study did say that they had the most potassium. In Florida, I get them at Publix. You may prefer regular baked potatoes — and do eat the skin which is where most of the vitamins are.
Does this (doctor) actually read any of the replies that are posted by those submitting comments? If so, she just hasn’t gotten the message yet, now has she?
Really people, if your on meds, and you have a family doctor, PLEASE take your questions there, to your own doctor, who you know is accredited, know who and what and where he is coming from, instead of asking your questions here, some of these questions are just so simple to answer, it is almost like she is inputting them herself, and still being evasive
doctors for the most have no clue on nutrition, just pills. I educate my doctor every time I walk into their office. We need to be our own first advocates, and learn from others who have the same problems. One pill always leads to another because one pill causes a cause for another pill.
Our Agri NGO is promoting moringa – very high potassium and calcium content; very good for those engaged in sports and strenous activities. Search the internet for “Moringa”. Its also called the “miracle vegetable”.
Celtic sea salt or Real Salt both with not raise or lower blood pressure. There is so much hype about salt being bad for you and nothing can be futher from the truth. Salt is need for you live & for you heart to work properly. You just need to consume the Real Salt not man made salt & remember everything in moderation…….
Real salt vs man-made salt? Salt is salt. Different people react differently. My reaction to salt is to raise the BP, even though I have a potassium rich diet. It is very clear that salt causes me to retain fluids, which is what raises the blood pressure. But that is me, others can react differently.
Honestly, if you want to get back to normal blood pressure – vigorous exercise is the key – it has to get you out of breath and get the blood pumping. This I believe is the single easiest way to get back to normal blood pressure.
I run races on the weekend and on the treadmill during the week. I am sure this lowers my blood pressure compared to what it would be without vigorous exercise. But I still have high blood pressure.
Vigorous exercise does help significantly but a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, I found is the key. HBP and high cholesterol are all related to the health of one’s arteries or endothelium. A plant based diet will prevent and reverse these conditions. It did wonders for lowering my BP and it now doesn’t seem to make a difference if I exercise or not. Diet is the key.
I think it’s both for most peaple; definatly a plant based diet and exercise
I agree with exercise being very important, some folks are on meds, especially Beta Blockers ( taken for too fast a pulse) that slow down the heart, and some other hypertensive meds, well the last thing you feel like doing or can do well is exercise because of the meds , so it becomes a two edged sword, you know you need to exercise but as they say, spirit is willing, body is not. I try very hard to mow our lawn , a few minutes into it , I have to sit down, I am middle aged and not over weight, its the meds.. , my goal is to get away from the meds, at present taking 10 milligrams instead of 20 milligrams , which I had to take in the beginning of the Beta Blocker , and down to two pills per day of ativan<< ( calms and relaxes) instead of three pills, I eat one potato every day topped with olive oil( anti inflammatory )<< extra virgin oil, and on top of that potato I liberally use Tumeric powder, < emotions, and diet, the two demons, emotions and bad diet,, nope lets make that 3 demons, emotions, diet, no exercise
Skip the Olive oil, dairy, eliminate animal protein and focus on fruits, veggies and whole grains and watch your BP drop.
Jerusalem artichokes have 6x the potassium as bananas.
Stop taking calcium pills and take Magnesium/potassium
asporatate or slow release magnesium daily. Also, DMG
will help lower BP.
College Big Twelve team physcian says plain table salt ingested is the quickest way to stop leg cramps. Oh, by the way, when you go to the hospital the first thing they do is put in a drip IV a SALINE (salt) solution, it is standard treatment, does that tell you anything? Salt does need to be balanced with other minerals.
And it’ll spike your BP in a snap of a finger too!
The table salt is 97.5 sodium chloride and 2.5% added chemicals. Dried at over 1200 – 1400 F, the excessive heat alters the natural structure of the salt and strips it of all enzymes and trace minerals. Some scientists call it a pure poison. Not unlike a refined white sugar. Himalayan salt offers huge health benefits, among others it helps maintain a healthy blood pressure.
“Excessive heat alters the natural structure of the salt”?? If you think back to your chemistry class, you would realize this makes no sense. NaCl is salt. Two of the most reactive elements, tightly bound together. Heat isn’t going to alter them. And there are no enzymes or trace elements. Now, if you are saying that processing sea water to extract its NaCl influences the other contaminants, that might make more sense.
You need to do some research and experimenting on your leg cramps. Itcould be from not getting enough potasium and to much salt. Do your ankles sweel when you get leg cramps? Us efrozen or fresh vegestables instead of canned.The salt they use in restaurants and processed foods has no iodine and most people need iodine for proper thyroid function. You only get 7% of your salt from table salt with iodine. Therefore it doesnt hurt to use some table salt as long as you cut back on salt from restaurants and processed foods.Alos you should consume 4 times as much potasium as salt. If you use frozen or fresh vegestables,a bannana every day,a baked potato,yogard,apples and other fruits you shouldn’t have any problems. All this information comes from over 14 medical books written by doctors that i have studied for 4 years. Also 4 health newsletters.
I like figures over vague statements about the effects of lifestyle and drugs.
The best official lecture on this subject put diet at the top with a typical reduction of 20/10. Salt avoidance was down at 5/2/. Most start up minimal drug interventions with one agent managed 10/5.
My own experience with going vegan + no fat/oil/grease as per Dr Esselstyn was a reduction from 150 plus to somewhere between 110 and 120,stable day after day. Previously I had tried Diovan 80mg with little effect.
John, I can relate to your experience with a plant based diet. I got essentially the same results as you indicate. It absolutely gets the job done like no other.
I have found, as have many of my friends I recommended this to, a glass of beetroot juice every day lowers the blood pressure considerably.
Someone commented that salt is needed to sweat when working out or working hard in the yard or whatever. I’m on an extremely low salt diet and when I’m either working out or working hard in the yard, I have no problem sweating! My diet includes no salt added or very low sodium anything, unsalted bread [Alvarado Street Multi-Grain Unsalted], coconut milk for my cereal [15 mg salt in the coconut milk/various organic cereals from 0 mg to about 100 mg max sodium], microwave popcorn with 0 mg sodium, fresh organic fruits/vegetables, etc.
My feeling about any of these exotic salts are just fancy salts with a big price tag with salt with a little “extra dirt added in”.
I read a study recently that found the lowest blood pressure among people with both the highest potassium and sodium intakes. In this study the potassium intake in this group was 2X or more the sodium intake. I agree with a previous poster that coconut water is a convenient high source of potassium. My blood pressure dropped to normal when I started consuming about 24 oz. per day. I also agree with a previous poster that cramps are likely to be deficiency in potassium or magnesium. Deficiencies in both contribute to high blood pressure.
Mercy, you sound like city dwellers.We live on a farm in the SW where 100 degrees is common in the summer. Drive the tractor which requires shifting with a clutch, walk a lot, sweat a lot.Sometimes, my foot or legs cramps after all this fun. Drink lots of water! You have to when you work outside and it’s over 100. Yes, we do this most days.Plain old table salt can do wonders.Farmers have used it for years(my Dad born in 1905 always told about it) We also use a salt block + a mineral block for all the cows, goats, etc.
Wilma,
I too grew up on a farm and agree that sodium is not the problem, but lack of minerals magnesium and potassium are. If you have enough magnesium and potassium, you can use a lot of sodium with no problem. Check out this pubmed article. This study also references calcium, but most of us get more than enough of that.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Feb;65(2 Suppl):712S-716S.
Role of adequate dietary calcium intake in the prevention and management of salt-sensitive hypertension.
McCarron DA.
Source
Division of Nephrology, Hypertension, and Clinical Pharmacology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201, USA. [email protected]
Abstract
During the past decade, a credible body of evidence has emerged supporting the concept that maintaining an adequate dietary mineral intake, specifically of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, protects against high blood pressure in humans. Observational and interventional studies in humans and extensive use of laboratory models showed that a significant portion of blood pressure variability in response to sodium chloride can be linked to the adequacy of the mineral content of the diet. This review summarizes the observational data from several large databases showing that when adults meet or exceed the recommended dietary allowances of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, the simultaneous ingestion of a diet high in sodium chloride is not associated with elevated arterial pressure. In fact, a higher sodium chloride intake in these adults is most likely associated with the lowest blood pressure in the society. This interaction between adequacy of mineral intake and protection against salt sensitivity in humans provides an important opportunity for further improving blood pressure control in our society. Educating individuals to maintain, on a daily basis, adequate intakes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium rather than limit their sodium chloride is a viable health recommendation that individuals can implement to reduce their risk of sodium chloride-induced hypertension.
Folks need to keep in mind that only 30% of people are sodium sensitive to the point where it increases blood pressure. That means a low sodium diet has no effect on 70% of us (me included). They are now linking hypertension to insulin resistance, which explans why many hypertensives are diabetic or pre-diabetic. My solution was going plant based and eliminating refined carbohydrates. It halted my hypertension and pre-diabetes dead in it’s tracks.