Cutting Salt Intake in Half: How It Reduces Blood Pressure and Helps with Weight Loss

You shouldn’t be vigilant because it’s common high blood pressure. Hypertension is the number one cause of death worldwide. It is followed by smoking and high blood sugar. All are related to blood pressure. There are no symptoms even if the blood pressure is high. If left untreated, serious cardio-cerebrovascular complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke can occur years later. If you repeat bad lifestyle habits that increase blood pressure, you can gain weight. Why?

◆ Too bland… more salty… What causes high blood pressure and weight gain?

1) I cut my salt intake in half… 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure

Even though there are many salted kimchi and salted fish on the table, some people add more soy sauce or salt because the soup is bland. Although the daily salt intake recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 5 g (salt). Koreans eat 2-3 times more. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 11 to 12 g is consumed. Studies have shown that when people who eat 10.5 g of salt a day cut it in half, their systolic blood pressure decreases by an average of 4 to 6 mmHg and the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases.

2) Why do you gain weight if you like salty taste?

Excessive sodium intake is an independent risk factor for obesity. Salty food stimulates the reward and pleasure center of the brain, causing overeating. The taste is salty, so you eat more rice, and soon after eating, you become thirsty, and the vicious cycle of looking for high-calorie sugary drinks is repeated. The problem is that sensitivity to salt is higher in people who are already overweight and those with a family history of diabetes or high blood pressure.

◆ I like alcohol and I can’t quit smoking… raises blood pressure and causes obesity

1) Excessive drinking increases blood pressure and causes obesity… High caloric snacking problem

Frequent drinking of alcohol increases blood pressure and reduces the effectiveness of antihypertensive medications. Because alcohol is high in sugar and calories, drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain. Eating side dishes as a high-calorie food increases the risk of obesity. If you already have high blood pressure, you should limit it to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. Women need to pay more attention to their drinking habits because their ability to detoxify alcohol decreases.

2) Nicotine temporarily raises blood pressure… Secondhand smoke is also dangerous

The nicotine in cigarettes temporarily raises blood pressure and heart rate. Smoking, like high blood pressure, is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Even if hypertensive patients control their blood pressure well, the risk of cardiovascular disease cannot be avoided if they continue to smoke. Secondhand smoke is also dangerous. If you have high blood pressure, you should stop smoking first (Health information from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Normal blood pressure, which has the lowest risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, is less than 120/80, and when the average blood pressure measured at rest is 140/90 or higher, it is called hypertension.

◆ Bring potassium-rich raw vegetables to your table… Aerobic exercise, such as walking

Vegetarians have lower blood pressure than meat eaters. A vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients. This is because fruits and vegetables are high in potassium and dietary fiber, which are good for sodium excretion. Eating less meat reduces saturated fat intake, reducing blood pressure and the risk of obesity. You should also reduce your intake of simple sugars and total fats.

If you have high blood pressure, aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, gymnastics, jumping rope, tennis, and dancing is recommended first. It has a weight loss effect because it burns fat. It is good to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes at a time, 5 days a week. Strength training that lifts heavy weights is appropriate 2-3 times a week to give muscles time to rest. In the early stages of exercise, blood pressure may increase, so excessive exercise should not be done in a state where blood pressure is not well controlled. It is safe to exercise after consulting with your doctor to control your blood pressure first.