Blood pressure and salt

janice wrote:

On 11 Aug 2004 08:17:54 -0700, (Brad
Sheppard) wrote:

I'm quite salt sensitive. After two days of a typical "American" diet
with 6 grams of salt a day my bp went from 115/75 to 140/90. No more
salt for me! It's taken 3 days of low salt to get back to 115/75.
Low salt has another "benefit" - low salt doesn't taste as good so you
eat less!

Oh dear, I know salt can cause high blood pressure, strokes, etc. but
it is one of my greatest weaknesses.

salt doesn't cause those things. it exacerbates them if they already
exist, but it doesn't cause them.

janice wrote:

On 11 Aug 2004 08:17:54 -0700, (Brad
Sheppard) wrote:

I'm quite salt sensitive. After two days of a typical "American" diet
with 6 grams of salt a day my bp went from 115/75 to 140/90. No more
salt for me! It's taken 3 days of low salt to get back to 115/75.
Low salt has another "benefit" - low salt doesn't taste as good so you
eat less!

Oh dear, I know salt can cause high blood pressure, strokes, etc. but
it is one of my greatest weaknesses.

salt doesn't cause those things. it exacerbates them if they already
exist, but it doesn't cause them.

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 20:41:51 GMT, (The Queen of
Cans and Jars) wrote:

janice wrote:

On 11 Aug 2004 08:17:54 -0700, (Brad
Sheppard) wrote:

I'm quite salt sensitive. After two days of a typical "American" diet
with 6 grams of salt a day my bp went from 115/75 to 140/90. No more
salt for me! It's taken 3 days of low salt to get back to 115/75.
Low salt has another "benefit" - low salt doesn't taste as good so you
eat less!

Oh dear, I know salt can cause high blood pressure, strokes, etc. but
it is one of my greatest weaknesses.

salt doesn't cause those things. it exacerbates them if they already
exist, but it doesn't cause them.

I thought it was believed that salt can lead to high blood pressure,
but I could be wrong. What I should have said is that this, in
turn, can lead to strokes etc.

janice

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 at 21:01:19, janice wrote:



In the very hot weather we've been having, I suffer agonising cramps
in my legs at night and I've heard this can be due to losing too much
salt from sweating. Does anyone know if this is true?

janice (who looks for any excuse to increase her salt intake

My mother would say it was lack of salt - she grew up an Army Brat, and
when on postings to the tropics, they'd be given salt tablets to ward
off cramp. Although I think nowadays don't they reckon it's
dehydration, rather than lack of salt? Try Diarolyte, or one of those
electrolyte-balancing (horribly carbohydrate-heavy) sports drinks.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 7 August 2004 - for a limited time, be bored by my holiday
snaps!

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 at 21:01:19, janice wrote:



In the very hot weather we've been having, I suffer agonising cramps
in my legs at night and I've heard this can be due to losing too much
salt from sweating. Does anyone know if this is true?

janice (who looks for any excuse to increase her salt intake

My mother would say it was lack of salt - she grew up an Army Brat, and
when on postings to the tropics, they'd be given salt tablets to ward
off cramp. Although I think nowadays don't they reckon it's
dehydration, rather than lack of salt? Try Diarolyte, or one of those
electrolyte-balancing (horribly carbohydrate-heavy) sports drinks.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 7 August 2004 - for a limited time, be bored by my holiday
snaps!

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 at 21:35:56, janice wrote:

I'm very bad at drinking enough, but I do drink more in the hot
weather as it's about the only time I get thirsty. I think I need to
replace the minerals I lose in sweating though. I eat a banana most
days, and I take a mineral supplement. I don't think it's an age
thing, as I've experienced these cramps in the hot weather since I was
quite young.

It's funny, I get *far* worse cramps when I'm cold, especially in my
feet.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 7 August 2004 - for a limited time, be bored by my holiday
snaps!

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 at 21:35:56, janice wrote:

I'm very bad at drinking enough, but I do drink more in the hot
weather as it's about the only time I get thirsty. I think I need to
replace the minerals I lose in sweating though. I eat a banana most
days, and I take a mineral supplement. I don't think it's an age
thing, as I've experienced these cramps in the hot weather since I was
quite young.

It's funny, I get *far* worse cramps when I'm cold, especially in my
feet.
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 7 August 2004 - for a limited time, be bored by my holiday
snaps!

"janice" wrote in message
...
I thought it was believed that salt can lead to high blood pressure,
but I could be wrong. What I should have said is that this, in
turn, can lead to strokes etc.

It's the same deal as with cholesterol. If you don't have a genetic or
metabolic trait that makes your cholesterol naturally high, dietary
cholesterol won't offset the balance until you reach enormous amounts of it.
Same with salt. Most people regulate their blood sodium level fine. For
them, dietary sodium won't matter much, since any excess will be filtered by
the kidneys and removed from the bloodstream. So, dietary sodium won't
impact their blood presure one way or another. But some people (hint: blood
test can sample your blood sodium levels) have troubles getting excess
sodium out of their bloodstream. For *them*, dietary sodium will have an
impact on blood presure.
Bottom line is that if you're perfectly normal, there is no need to go to
extremes to cut sodium (or cholesterol), as long as consumption is
reasonnable (like, eating 200g of sodium *will* cause problems to normal
people too .

"janice" wrote in message
...
I thought it was believed that salt can lead to high blood pressure,
but I could be wrong. What I should have said is that this, in
turn, can lead to strokes etc.

It's the same deal as with cholesterol. If you don't have a genetic or
metabolic trait that makes your cholesterol naturally high, dietary
cholesterol won't offset the balance until you reach enormous amounts of it.
Same with salt. Most people regulate their blood sodium level fine. For
them, dietary sodium won't matter much, since any excess will be filtered by
the kidneys and removed from the bloodstream. So, dietary sodium won't
impact their blood presure one way or another. But some people (hint: blood
test can sample your blood sodium levels) have troubles getting excess
sodium out of their bloodstream. For *them*, dietary sodium will have an
impact on blood presure.
Bottom line is that if you're perfectly normal, there is no need to go to
extremes to cut sodium (or cholesterol), as long as consumption is
reasonnable (like, eating 200g of sodium *will* cause problems to normal
people too .

Janice,

Not everyone is as salt sensitive as I am! Yes, lack of sodium can
cause cramps. "A low-salt diet does not lower high blood pressure in
most people with high blood pressure. A high-salt diet causes high
blood pressure usually only in people with high blood insulin levels.
Heavily salting food and drinking salty drinks when you exercise for
more than 2 hours in the heat should not raise blood pressure anyway.
If you don't take salt and fluids during extended exercise in hot
weather, you will tire earlier and increase your risk for heat stroke,
dehydration and cramps."

http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/8061.htm

(janice) wrote in message . ..
On 11 Aug 2004 08:17:54 -0700, (Brad
Sheppard) wrote:

I'm quite salt sensitive. After two days of a typical "American" diet
with 6 grams of salt a day my bp went from 115/75 to 140/90. No more
salt for me! It's taken 3 days of low salt to get back to 115/75.
Low salt has another "benefit" - low salt doesn't taste as good so you
eat less!

Oh dear, I know salt can cause high blood pressure, strokes, etc. but
it is one of my greatest weaknesses. I really don't enjoy my food
without it. I don't add it to prepared foods that are already
seasoned, but I do sprinkle it all over my veg and often the rest of
my meal too.

In the very hot weather we've been having, I suffer agonising cramps
in my legs at night and I've heard this can be due to losing too much
salt from sweating. Does anyone know if this is true?

janice (who looks for any excuse to increase her salt intake