CNN —Cutting 1 teaspoon of salt from your diet each day can lower your top blood pressure reading just as much as a typical hypertension medication, even if you don’t have high blood pressure, a new study found.
Wirestock/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesNearly half of all Americans live with high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
Compared to the high-sodium diet, blood pressure on the extremely low-salt diet dropped 8 millimeters of mercury.
“Compared to their normal diet, people reduced their blood pressure by about 6 millimeters of mercury, about the same effect you’d see for a first-line blood pressure medication,” Allen said.
“Taste bud adjustment takes a little bit longer, but the blood pressure improvements are pretty quick,” she added.
Persons:
”, Norrina Allen, ” Allen, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, bouillon, “, Allen, ” Freeman, Dietitians
Organizations:
CNN, American Heart Association, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, World Health Organization, Jewish Health, National Library of Medicine
Locations:
Denver