Dietary changes can go a long way for blood pressure reduction. Reducing sodium can be highly effective for some people. However, some people are more sensitive to salt than others. Some recent research called sodium restriction into question. They questioned whether low sodium intake actually had a positive effect on mortality.
It is true that this issue is still not fully understood. However, many years of research does show that lowering sodium can improve blood pressure in many people. For this reason, we believe that people with blood pressure issues should be cognizant of their sodium intake. One simple place to start is with avoiding processed foods. Most packaged foods, especially frozen foods and canned soups, are full of sodium. Another surprisingly high contributor to sodium intake is store-bought bread. Most brands contain 250–300 mg of sodium per slice. Deli meat is also a culprit. So watch out for that sandwich, chips, and a pickle! You could be getting a whole day’s worth of sodium right there.
Sticking to a diet comprised of whole foods such as unprocessed fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and whole grains is a great way to avoid many of the culprit additives found in most processed foods.
Minimizing added salt is also a good idea. Some believe that using kosher salt or sea salt is healthier. It truly is more “natural” with less additives; and in fact there is less sodium, ounce per ounce, than in traditional table salt. Cooks often prefer using these because it is harder to “oversalt” something if using these products. We are all for using these as your preferred salt at home. However, one fact to consider is that these salts do not contain iodine, while traditional “table salt” does. The wider adoption of using noniodized salt contributes to iodine deficiency, which then can lead to thyroid problems. Iodine is easily replaced in a good vitamin regimen; just beware of this issue as you adopt a lower-sodium diet.
A general goal if you have higher blood pressure is to stick to less than two grams daily of total sodium intake. The “DASH” (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a group of dietary suggestions that have been studied and proven to help with blood pressure reduction. The program is sensible in that it advises using fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other healthful natural foods to make up the bulk of your diet. By sticking to these guidelines, you are less likely to consume the processed foods that tend to be the biggest salt contributors.
Is too little salt a problem? Of course it is! If you’ve read this far, you should recognize that moderation is always the answer. People with too little salt in their diets or those who take in excessive amounts of water (which essentially dilutes out the salt in their blood stream) are at risk of major problems too. Low salt in the blood or “hyponatremia” can cause people to feel poorly and in extreme cases can cause swelling in the brain, seizure, or coma.
People with lower blood pressure need salt to keep their blood pressure at a reasonable level and not get dizzy or pass out. Likewise, people who exercise a lot or are in extreme heat and sweat a lot also need salt at certain times to replenish their losses. You’ve tasted sweat (salty stuff); you lose a ton of salt and other electrolytes, not just water, when you perspire. When we created the Vous Vitamin® Power Up Situational Supplement for use with exercise, we worked hard to incorporate the proper balance of electrolytes, including a small amount of sodium, because we know that many people make the mistake of drinking tons of water when they exercise and not replacing the vital electrolytes too.
Sodium is one of them, in reasonable amounts.
The other component of the DASH diet that occurs naturally when you follow this type of regimen is an increase in dietary potassium. Following a diet high in fruits and vegetables tends to raise potassium intake since foods like bananas, citrus, potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, fish, and whole grains contain significant amounts of potassium. The good news is that keeping a diet like DASH essentially kills two birds with one stone—lowering sodium intake while raising potassium intake. This winning combination can be just the recipe you need for keeping your blood pressure down. Giving potassium in the form of a daily supplement is not recommended unless one has been shown to have a low serum potassium (a common situation for people who take diuretics or “water pills”).
In part it is not advised to take too much supplemental potassium, because those who have imperfect kidney function can have trouble metabolizing the potassium. Also, their potassium can become dangerously high, causing heart arrhythmias. If one gets potassium from natural sources, one is less likely to have any problems (unless you have advanced kidney failure).
We consider magnesium to be one of the most miraculous vitamins. It is then probably not surprising that it can play a helpful role in blood pressure regulation. Some studies have shown a reduction of several points in average blood pressure among those who take a magnesium supplement. The exact mechanism for this is not fully understood. However, it is also known that magnesium is integral to keeping potassium levels adequate. Thus it may have multiple contributions to cardiovascular health. As with potassium, magnesium should be used with caution in those who have kidney problems. For most people it can be a good part of a heart-healthy regimen.
Vitamin C is also involved in the complex equation of blood pressure reduction. It appears to be helpful in lowering systolic blood pressure when taken in addition to typical blood pressure medications. On its own, it has not been shown to be quite as helpful, but it may help in limited amounts. More research is needed to understand vitamin C’s contribution. It may be one reason why the DASH diet is particularly helpful, since it includes many vitamin C–rich foods.
Another element that may play a role in blood pressure is calcium. Studies, however, have shown conflicting results. It is possible that overdosing on calcium supplements can interfere with certain medications used to lower blood pressure (such as calcium channel blockers and certain diuretics). It is unclear whether they can be of any benefit in actually lowering blood pressure. We know they play a role in helping with bone density, but blood pressure may be another reason to take only the lowest needed dose of calcium via supplement.
All of these vitamins can play a role, but they will only work in the right amounts for your specific profile. A personalized vitamin assessment is a great starting point. These online, digital assessments can tell you what you need based off your health and lifestyle data. Be sure to identify a personalized vitamin service that can deliver your daily dose in a feasible format. Is the service affordable? Are the pills easy to swallow? How many pills do you need to take? These are good questions to evaluation which personalized vitamin service might be right for you!
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