There are various links between salt consumption and high blood pressure, but how does sodium hurt your circulation? Let’s find out.
According to a recent study, you can give your heart some much-needed benefits by reducing sodium intake – even if your blood pressure’s normal. For this study, researchers wanted to understand the exact nature of the link between high blood pressure and a range of daily sodium. Poor circulation can affect your blood pressure and vice versa.
Their results show that reducing sodium intake in any amount will decrease systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). “We found this decrease in sodium was beneficial for people consuming very low sodium intakes, having normal blood pressure, and in the long term,” said Dr. Marco Vinceti, senior author of the analysis, which appears in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation.
Sodium and Your Circulation
When you have too much sodium in your system, you increase water retention in your system, which can lead to stiff blood vessels over time. As a result, your heart has to work harder to maintain blood circulation, increasing the risk of a heart attack and stroke. The AHA recommends a daily limit of 1,500 mg regarding sodium intake.
“The lower, the better,” says Vinceti. “Even below 1.5 grams (1,500 mg), there is a decrease in blood pressure.” According to the study, for every 2,300 mg of sodium intake reduction, SBP fell by 5.6 mm Hg, and DBP fell by 2.3 mm Hg, on average. While the study only focused on blood pressure as an outcome, “we think this is probably – as most people think – the most important point to be assessed,” said Vinceti.
Changing Your Diet
According to the study, a modification of diet led to a bigger effect than other interventions when it came to lowering sodium intake. In fact, Dr. J. Brian Byrd, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School who was not involved in the study, believes simply eating healthier can have an effect.
“Just changing the amount of sodium in the diet had an effect in the study, no question,” Byrd says. “But it seems like you magnify that effect when you improve your diet in general.” Byrd adds that “one of the messages seems to be that changing the diet for a healthier one will be even more powerful than just reducing salt.”
Improving Your Circulation
There are various studies showing a connection between lower sodium intake and better heart health and circulation – and this particular study helps confirm the link. If you want to have better blood flow, then you need to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet and just eat healthier in general.
In addition to modifying your diet, you can give yourself an extra boost by taking supplements like Circulation Boost. Its ingredients promote circulation, blood pressure health, energy levels, and more. Give your blood flow the support it deserves by reducing your sodium consumption and taking Circulation Boost.