Is Pink Salt Good for High Blood Pressure?

Apr 25, 2024

Hassan Tariq

People with high blood pressure or kidney illness should avoid consuming excessive amounts of salt.

Although Himalayan pink salt has been marketed as a healthier salt due to its lower sodium content per serving than regular table salt, no large-scale studies have verified this claim.

What Are The Forms Of Salt?

The taste and texture of salt vary depending on how it is processed. However, all salts have 40% sodium, and the variance in sodium content is only due to the size and shape of the crystals.

Table or ordinary salt:
Usually extracted from beneath the surface reserves.

Processed to eliminate other minerals.

Commonly added with iodine, which is essential for thyroid health.

A single teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams of sodium.

Sea Salt:
Made by drying saltwater.

Fewer processed than table salt.

Includes extra tiny minerals including potassium, iron, and calcium.

Has greater particle size than table salt.

A single teaspoon of sea salt has 1,872 mg sodium.

Kosher Salt:
Raw and coarse.

Rarely contains chemicals.

Has sodium chloride but no iodine, making it a non-iodized salt.

A single teaspoon of kosher salt has 1,120 milligrams of sodium.

Himalayan Pink Salt:
Coarse, fine, mined salt

Contains trace amounts of iodine (less than that of table salt) and other elements.

A single teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt has 1,680 milligrams of sodium.

What Is The Suggested Daily Salt Intake?

Salt is an essential part for many biological functions; nevertheless, excessive amounts can cause high blood pressure, kidney failure, stroke, and heart disease. People with these disorders should not take more than 1,500 mg of salt each day.

Regardless have significance the sort of salt you consume, balance is essential. The American Heart Association recommends reducing sodium intake to fewer than 2,300 mg per day, which is roughly comparable to one teaspoon of table salt.

How Can Salt Raise Blood Pressure?

If you eat too much salt or sodium, excess water remains in the bloodstream to eliminate the salt from the body. This causes your kidneys to work overtime to produce chemicals like renin and angiotensin, which cause blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise briefly.

Furthermore, the renin-angiotensin spike leads to the production of testosterone, a hormone that raises blood pressure by storing water. Consistent high salt intake causes a steady increase in arterial pressure, finally leading to hypertension.

Excessive salt consumption also causes blood vessel hardening, which increases resistance in the tiny arteries. This forces the heart to work more to pump blood, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy. Over time, the heart loses its ability to pump blood with higher effort, resulting in gradual muscular weakness.

What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of Himalayan Pink Salt?

Nutritional worth: According to some reports, Himalayan pink salt has less sodium per dose than regular table salt. Himalayan pink salt additionally has a trace amount of minerals that table salt lacks, including:

Zinc
Iron
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium

Increases respiratory health: Salt therapy, which involves breathing salt-infused air, is believed to help respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as (COPD). However, more research on this topic is required.

Prevents dehydration: Salt is required for keeping adequate and balanced water levels in the body. Getting sufficient salt, especially before or after intense physical activity, is critical to avoiding dehydration caused by wasted water and salt, a condition known as hyponatremia.

Promotes skin health: Salt is thought to have multiple beneficial properties for a variety of skin problems, including eczema, based on where it is sourced. The National Eczema Association recommends adding a cup of salt to bathwater to prevent eczema flare-ups.

What Are The Risks Of Taking Too Much Salt?

Kidney disease: Excess salt can promote high blood pressure, which increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. Scientific guidelines recommend limited salt consumption to decrease the course of CKD.

Heart disease: High blood pressure is also a major cause of heart disease. As a result, excessive salt consumption might cause heart difficulties.

Bone disorders: Consuming too much salt may cause large levels of calcium to leave the body through urine. Scientists believe that too much salt may increase the risk of osteoporosis and other bone problems, but further research is needed.

Hypernatremia (excess sodium): The condition known as hyper is caused by high salt levels in the blood. This is an emergency requiring medical intervention. Read More....