Salt..

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one in two adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. Considering that high blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease—the leading cause of death in the U.S.—this statistic is pretty alarming. High blood pressure also goes hand-in-hand with high LDL cholesterol, which 75 percent of heart attack and stroke survivors reported having, according to new data from the American Heart Association.

The main source of sodium is salt and the reason why it negatively impacts blood pressure is because salt makes the body hold onto water. This extra water in the body puts pressure on blood vessel walls, raising blood pressure.

Dr. Karishma Patwa, MD, a cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology and contributor to LabFinder.com, says that many people don’t realize all the places sodium can be hidden. This includes frozen meals, condiments, sauces, canned soups and fast food. Minimizing processed foods such as these is the best way to minimize the amount of sodium in your diet.  Just a thought.