Salt & High Blood Pressure: A Guide For Caregivers And Family Members

When you sit down to dinner do you or your family members automatically reach for the salt shaker? Even before tasting the food?

Most people consume much more salt than their bodies require. American Heart Association guidelines recommend that salt intake for adults should be limited to 1,500 mg or less daily.

Salt & High Blood Pressure

Salt is an essential part of the diet for everyone – regardless of age. Not only does salt – also known as sodium chloride – enhance the flavor of food, it also helps regulate the body's fluid balance and blood pressure. Consuming too much salt can cause high blood pressure and may also interfere with the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications. Not enough salt can cause low blood sodium (hyponatremia) especially in older adults whose bodies do not metabolize salt as well as younger people.

The links between salt and high blood pressure may be difficult for older adults to understand. Don't hesitate to ask the doctor to explain your older relative's condition and learn as much as you can about high blood pressure and its management.

Choosing Low-Salt Foods

Canned and frozen foods supply far more sodium than the body requires and many diners automatically reach for the salt shaker even before tasting their food. Read the labels on some of the canned foods on your kitchen shelves – you might be surprised at how much salt these products contain.

Some examples:

• Lite Caesar salad dressing: 620 mg salt per 2 tablespoons
• Canned green beans: 390 mg salt per ½ cup
• Canned Kidney beans: 340 mg salt per ½ cup

Other high sodium foods include ham, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, and deli meats, ketchup, mayonnaise, cheeses, buttermilk and frozen dinners. If you, or a family member, have high blood pressure consider serving more low-salt/salt-free foods. Read labels carefully and look for salt contents. Use salt substitutes, herbs and spices instead of regular salt.

• Choose fresh meats, poultry, fish, tuna and chicken canned in water, dried peas and beans
• Look for low-sodium peanut butter, soups, and salt-free broth for soup
• Fruits and fruit juices that do not contain salt are available in many stores
• Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your menus
• Serve low-fat daily products – skim or reduced-fat milk, margarine instead of butter, low-fat cheeses
• Taste food before adding salt
• Keep the salt shaker out of sight
• Use fresh herbs instead of salt

Introduce low-salt foods to your family gradually. Salt-free foods are an acquired taste! Over time your older relative and other family members will become accustomed to less salt in their foods.

Life With Less Salt

Over time your relative's blood pressure should decrease and your family will get used to eating foods with less salt. Although sodium is an important part of the diet you may discover that food sprinkled with salt tastes much too salty.