Does Sodium Cause High Blood Pressure?

Sodium causes high blood pressure. Now here is a common health lie. While it is true that there is a correlation between salt (sodium chloride) intake and high blood pressure - at least in the United States - this does not necessarily mean that salt or sodium cause the problem. Your doctor recommendation to avoid sodium may not be correct.

The truth is that it is not normally your salt consumption that raises your blood pressure. It is actually more complicated than that. It is usually an excess of sodium in relation to potassium. More salt, then, can be fine if you have more potassium.

Both of these minerals are electrolytes. They help conduct the electrical flow in your body. Working together, sodium and potassium regulate nerve transmission, cell membrane activity and fluid retention.

They have to be in the right proportions to work properly. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, if you don't get enough potassium. Having these electrolytes out of balance can also mean fatigue, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, confusion, irritability, abdominal bloating and heart disease.

What is the right balance? Around five times as much potassium as sodium. Unfortunately, typical Americans get twice as much sodium as potassium.

How do you get potassium? You can take potassium supplements, but they aren't usually necessary. This is a mineral that is easy to get through natural sources. Try eating three servings daily of potassium-rich foods. These include apricots, avocados, bananas, beans, cantaloupe, figs, potatoes, raisins, squash, and tomato sauce (look for low-salt or unsalted).

This kind of health lie persists for two reasons. The first is simply that the medical community prefers to simplify things for the public, in a paternalistic they-can't-understand-anything-more-complicated way. The other reason is the confusion in both the sciences and the public about correlation and causation. It seems that when things are correlated (high salt intake and high blood pressure) that one must cause the other. This just isn't scientific. Correlation may point to things that need to be studied, but cannot be taken to be causation. More on that in future newsletters.

Discover more health lies in Chapter Five of "You Aren't Supposed To Know - A Book Of Secrets," at: http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com/99lies.html

99 Lies | Does Sodium Cause High Blood Pressure?