Should I Avoid Salt if I have High Blood Pressure?
Comments about RealSalt: “Tastes delicious and I love it,” Clara Douglas.
Narrow, inelastic arteries are a result of consuming bad fats, oxidized fats and oxidized cholesterol, that promote plaque accumulation in the arteries. Another reason arteries become inelastic is because of a lack of vitamin C, MSM, and phytochemicals. Narrow arteries make it difficult for the heart to pump blood through the body creating a situation that shows up in the body as high blood pressure.
There are a couple generic types of salt: unrefined and refined. Unrefined salt is “an excellent, traditional source of nearly 80 trace minerals. …This natural bacteria-inhibiting preservative can be considered a mineral ‘supplement’ that is essential to life” (Weston A Price, Nutrient-Dense Eating). Compared to refined iodized salt which, in some cases, is heated to temperatures up to 1200 degrees F, stripped of all nutrients and combined with poisonous substances including aluminum, sugar and anti-caking agents. Which salt should you avoid? Pure white salt, of course! Sea salt, containing all those beneficial minerals, shows up as gray or pink, depending on the type (see photo). Salt is important for digestion and assimilation and also crucial for the development and functioning of the nervous system.
Prescribing a low-sodium diet doesn’t always fix the problem of high blood pressure. Lacto-fermented foods like Sauerkraut and Kimchi contain salt but also the vitamin C, MSM, and phytochemicals necessary to promote elasticity in the arteries. In fact, to further confirm the statement, a recent article I read states that some people with high blood pressure are unaffected by sea salt and only about 3% of high blood pressure cases are related to salt intake.
Avoid foods containing extra sugar, processed carbohydrates, chemicals and oxidized fats and cholesterol. Do consume lacto-fermented foods, healthy saturated fats, grass-fed animal meat, sea salt, organic vegetables and fruits. The best kinds of unrefined salt includes Celtic, Himalayan, RealSalt, and Lima. You may find these salts at your local healthy food store, in the health food section of your grocery store or other online sites such as iherb.com or swansonvitamins.com.
Resources:
About High Blood Pressure
Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Weston A Price
