Low Salt Alternative
There are two ways to make certain blood-pressure drugs (ACE inhibitors) are more effective. One is to take more drugs. Another may be to add flavors like pepper, rosemary or basil to your cooking instead of salt, according to a recent study that comes to us from the United Kingdom. When 11 high-pressure people on ACE inhibitors needed to lower their pressures more, they got the same results from a low-salt diet as they did from taking extra drugs called thiazide diuretics.
What’s more, the low-salt diet was still flavorful. People were asked simply to leave out the salt in cooking or at the table and avoid salt-laden foods such as pickles, olives and anchovies Still not convinced that doing it yourself may be better than drugs? Let’s look at side effects. When thiazide diuretics are used to bolster ACE inhibitors, uninvited sidekicks can include loss of that heart-rhythm-sustaining nutrient potassium; loss of libido and maybe even an increased risk of heart attack. Side effects of favorite flavorings like rosemary or basil: We don’t know of any.
It’s not a particular surprise that a low-salt diet has the same power as a diuretic, says John H. Laragh, M.D., director of the hypertension center at Cornell Medical Center, New York City. “Diuretics are what I call a ‘poor-willpower-man’s low-salt diet;” he says. A diuretic thwarts a blood-pressure rise by preventing the kidneys from holding salt. A low-salt diet prevents you from holding salt by avoiding it in the first place.
There are two things that sustain high blood pressure. One is rennin, a hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the kidneys.Its action is blocked by ACE inhibitors.) The other is the body’s sodium content, also regulated by the kidneys, says Dr. Laragh. Taking away dietary sodium under a doctor’s supervision might be O.K., but Dr. Laragh warns against being overzealous about it. (You need at least 2,000 milligrams a day.) If you take in too littie sodium, your body may become too dehydrated and illequipped to withstand the daily stress of exercise or infection since the blood flow to the tissues is reduced. In this regard, a new study links low amounts of sodium in the diet with an increased risk of heart attack. Too little sodium in the blood and” … the blood volume and flow to the capillaries won’t be as luxurious as it could be. Blood flow to the brain and kidneys will be reduced, exercise tolerance will be reduced and resistance to infection will be reduced;’ says Dr. Laragh. “This leads me to believe that it makes good sense to have a moderate salt intake whenever possible. The optimal amount of salt in the diet is not the same for everyone;’ he says. Work with your physician to find the level that’s right for you.