People with high blood pressure are recommended to keep their salt intake in control. A study published in Hypertension found out who between men or women benefit from a low-salt diet for regulating blood pressure. There have been studies done previously that mention that women are more salt-sensitive. Intake of salt can contribute to an increase in blood pressure, which is dangerous for the heart and can result in heart disease. People who are salt-sensitive and have high blood pressure are thus advised to have a low-salt diet.
Women have higher aldosterone
Aldosterone is a hormone which regulates salt and affects blood pressure. It is naturally higher in females as compared to males and can be higher in case of a high-salt diet. It was thus hypothesised that females have higher levels of adlosterone than males, and they are more likely to be salt-sensitive.
Consuming high amounts of salt can be easy and even unintentional. Under usual circumstances, our body tries to balance this salt intake by reducing aldosterone levels and ensures that the body does not retain too much salt. However, this may result in fluid retention and high blood pressure.
Salt retention may be not be the reason behind high blood pressure in women with a high-salt diet
As part of the study, it was found that high blood pressure may be caused because of aldosterone impairing the ability of blood vessels to relax. This study – reports Medical News Bulletin – provides evidence that aldosterone is responsible for high blood pressure in women who consume a high-salt diet, and salt retention may actually not be the cause for it.
The study may suggest that there is a need to target adolsterone for treatment of conditions like high blood pressure, obesity in women.
How to deal with blood pressure
The basics of dealing with blood pressure is to consume a low-salt diet and avoids foods that have high salt content. People with high blood pressure should make the attempt of checking their blood pressure regularly. Poor lifestyle and diet, lack of physical activity and increased consumption of processed food are some of the major culprits behind high blood pressure.
1. Bananas:
Potassium rich bananas can be helpful in keeping your blood pressure under control. Potassium can lower the effect of sodium, thus preventing increase in blood pressure.
2. Coconut water:
People with high blood pressure should make sure that they keep themselves properly hydrated. Along with drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water, you can also drink coconut water to improve your hydration levels.
3. Garlic:
Studies have shown that garlic has properties that can lower blood pressure. You should make the effort of consuming one or two garlic cloves daily. It will not only help in controlling blood pressure, but will also improve blood flow, prevent gas and indigestion.
4. Avoid alcohol abuse and quit smoking:
Alcohol and smoking should be completely off the table if you have high blood pressure. Both these sedentary lifestyle habits can harm your health in more ways than you can imagine. They can increase risk of fatty liver disease, cancer, heart disease and much more.
5. Avoid processed and packaged food:
No matter the convenience that these foods provide, processed and packaged food do very little in terms of providing you with nutrition. In order to increase their shelf life, they are packed with salt and harmful preservatives. Include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet if you want to control high blood pressure.
