Question about Salt

[GracieOS]

I have a question about Salt. I was told to watch my salt intake, no ready meals and don't add salt when cooking. I didn't do ready meals very often anyway and stopped adding salt when cooking. My question is why do we have to reduce salt intake? Is it to do with blood pressure? And if so, if your blood pressure is OK can you afford to add a little salt when cooking? My blood pressure was a bit high when I was first diagnosed with heart failure ( although I think a lot of that was down to being scared stiff of what was happening or going to happen to me) but is fine now. So, can I ease up on the 'no added salt' habit?

[Lezzers]

We've followed a low salt diet for over 20 years & nurse was happy bout that. But I thought guidelines now was to not restrict salt from your diet unless you've specifically told to. A question for your medical team I would think, but please let us know the answer.

Don't think we could go back to salt now though.

[Yasyass in reply to Lezzers]

I have low to normal blood pressure but gp said eat normal but don’t add extra salt to the food but I have never liked extra salt I think our bodies need a bit of salt but some people as I know like to put extra on their food

[GracieOS in reply to Lezzers]

I've never added salt to my meal and rarely eat 'ready meals' but I do like to add salt when cooking to soups, casseroles etc and when cooking rice for instance. I've not been adding salt when cooking and it does affect the flavour of food. A little seasoning goes a long way. I'd just like to go back to seasoning when cooking. I have seen contradictory advice on salt and did read, a news article by a cardiologist who also had some form of heart disease himself, that there was little evidence that reducing salt made much difference in heart failure. So I thought I might be sacrificing food flavour and enjoyment for nothing.

[NorthantsSteve]

Hi Gracie. Taking on board extra salt can make it more difficult for your kidneys to remove fluid from your system. That builds up and increases your BP. Over time the elevated BP can lead to hypertension that can stiffen and narrow blood vessels making it harder for oxygen to get to vital organs. So your heart has to work harder - further increasing BP. Some people are more sensitive to salt than others (middle aged/elderly & overweight/obese & certain races).

[GracieOS in reply to NorthantsSteve]

Thank you. So, if my blood pressure is fine, which it is, I should be OK seasoning, lightly with salt, when I cook. If my blood pressure goes up at all then I should stop using salt again. I don't eat salty snacks and have no intention of starting, it's just about seasoning while cooking.

[Lezzers in reply to GracieOS]

Hi GracieOS, not saying you should or shouldn't use salt (see my previous reply) but have you considered using herbs & spices to season your food? Definitely wouldn't recommend you use lo salt alternatives as they're high in potassium.

[stevejb1810 in reply to GracieOS]

As with alcohol, all things in moderation. Your body needs some salt especially if you sweat a lot. The problem is that too many people take way too much salt because it’s ubiquitous - it’s in almost every processed food we eat (not just ready meals but cheese, bread, cakes, biscuits etc.) and we have become conditioned to it so when it’s not there we ‘ids’ it. Use a little in cooking, I’m with you, it does enhance flavour, but try to keep an eye on your overall salt intake and keep it low.

[GracieOS]

Thank you. Especially to the link to the research paper. I work for a medical research charity(nothing to do with hearts) and know it can take many years for research to change frontline practice.