What happens to your blood pressure when you cut salt for just one week

Made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride, table salt is responsible for raising blood pressure. While it is necessary to consume sodium every day for the body to function properly, about 1,500 mg per day for healthy blood pressure, consuming too much can lead to high blood pressure, which is responsible for several health problems, including cardiovascular events and kidney failure.

Significantly cutting salt from your diet for just one week can, however, have a meaningful effect on your blood pressure.

The effects of stopping salt

Available on the JAMA Network website, a study published in 2023 followed several older American adults who followed a low-sodium diet, consuming only 500 mg per day. By comparison, the average American consumes about 3,500 mg of sodium per day.

Compared with their usual diet, the low-sodium diet, with no table salt, led to a six-point drop in blood pressure, which is similar to the decrease caused by medications for hypertension. This drop proved consistent among all participants, including those with normal blood pressure, untreated hypertension, or those already taking medication to lower high blood pressure.

In short, the study showed that it is possible to lower blood pressure in one week simply by consuming less salt.

How to reduce your sodium intake

If you follow a low-sodium diet to lower your blood pressure, it will rise again quickly if you start consuming salt again. Reducing sodium intake can be complicated, however, because although table salt contributes to daily intake, processed foods such as deli meats, bread, and frozen meals also contain significant amounts.

To reduce your intake, choose whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. You can also replace salt with a sodium-free alternative. Finally, several lifestyle changes can also help maintain healthy blood pressure, such as giving up alcohol and tobacco and getting daily physical activity.

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