Salt and High Blood Pressure

Sodium chloride, or Salt, is health concern because of its sodium content. Sodium plays a key role in the regulation of body fluids and is generally assumed to have a control on blood pressure. The major source of sodium in the American diet, salt is about 40 percent sodium. Further typical sources include different food additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium phosphate, and sodium nitrite. Sodium is also a natural constituent of many foods, as well as an ingredient in many processed foods and some medicines. Every person requires a number of sodium in the diet to restore routine losses. About 200 milligrams a day is considered an important quantity for survival; human being requirements vary with physical activity, climate, and other factors. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council estimates that an "adequate and safe" intake of sodium for healthy adults is 1100 to 3300 milligrams a day, the equivalent of approximately 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Americans usually use at least twice that amount. Estimated intakes of individuals range from 2300 to 6900 milligrams of sodium daily, according to the Food and Nutrition Board. A good number of people emerge to suffer no ill special effects from a high salt intake. But an important minority— approximately 20 percent of American adults who develop high blood pressure—can be badly affected by extreme amounts of sodium in their diets. Their sodium ingestion influences their blood-pressure levels, and a number of researchers think it may contribute to the growth of the condition. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a constant increase of blood pressure over normal levels. (The term tension here refers to force, not to nervous tension; both tense and apparently relaxed people can be prone to hypertension.) If the illness is not detected and treated, it can finally lead to kidney failure, heart attack, or stroke. For purposes of diagnosis and treatment, hypertension is generally defined as mild, moderate, or severe. Until recently, advice to cut back on sodium was directed mainly to inhabitants with hypertension or to those considered at risk of developing it. The latest recommendations, however—and the promotion campaigns they prompted—are aimed at the American community in general. In 1980, dietary guidelines issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services began to advocate that all Americans "moderate" their sodium intake. Similar advice is offered by some health or science groups, such as the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The recommended sodium ingestion varies or is now and again left unstated, but all those groups agree the intake must go down. Regardless of such official blessings, the call for a sodium cutback for the public at large has not drained universal applause. Amongst experts on hypertension, response to the federal guidelines ranges from enthusiastic support to heated criticism. While a little view the advice as sensible and practical, others argue that it's unnecessary and lacks adequate scientific justification. At the bottom line of the debate is a question frequent to many public-health policies: Is it logical to stipulate something for a whole population to protect a weak minority—in this case, the people susceptible to hypertension? The issue in this occasion arouses further argument because there is no proof that excess sodium really causes hypertension or that reducing sodium intake will avert the disease. By contrast, a public-health measure; like childhood vaccination is broadly accepted because it's known to be effectual in preventing specific illnesses. Long-term studies may resolve the sodium issue, but not in the near future. Accordingly, a lot of people will have to choose whether cutting back on sodium makes good sense for them. In making an individual decision, it's vital to understand what hypertension is, what role sodium might play, and whether you are in one of the "risk groups" that experience a higher incidence of the disease.