Reducing sodium in the diet significantly lowers blood pressure in one week

A new study found that reducing sodium in the diet to 4,000 milligrams per day significantly reduced blood pressure after one week. This was the case for 70% of adults aged 50 to 75. The findings were presented at the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 11, 2023.

Deepak K. Gupta, MD, MSCI, FAHA, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said high blood pressure is the most common chronic disease in the world, and for most adults, dietary sodium intake affects blood pressure. The American Heart Association in a press release, however, dietary sodium recommendations are in part debated due to changes in blood pressure response to sodium intake from food.

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 2025 recommends that adults consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Except, adults in the United States often consume 50% more sodium, or 3,400 milligrams per day. The American Heart Association also recommends < 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but he thinks we should work toward a sodium limit < 1500 mg per day

Participants in this study were randomly assigned to a low sodium group with 2200 mg of sodium per day or a high sodium group with 500 mg of sodium per day. At the start of the study, nearly a quarter of the 213 participants had normal blood pressure, 20 percent had controlled hypertension, 31 percent had uncontrolled hypertension, and 25 percent had untreated hypertension. 1 out of every 5 participants had diabetes.

The low-sodium group consumed the food and drink provided by the researchers and had food options such as oatmeal, Greek yogurt, grapes for breakfast, fruit, a bag of chips, chicken salad, lentil soup, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. And considered fruit. A bottle of 1% low-fat milk, a low-sodium frozen burrito, low-sodium frozen vegetable lasagna, or a low-sodium rice and vegetable dish for dinner. Meanwhile, participants in the high-sodium group consumed two packets of chicken bouillon per day, which contained 1,100 milligrams of sodium per packet.

The findings suggest that a low-sodium diet significantly lowers blood pressure, as it lowered blood pressure in 70 to 75 percent of participants within one week. Those on the low-sodium diet had a significantly lower blood pressure of 78 mmHg compared to the high-sodium diet group. And compared to their usual diet, the low-sodium group lowered their blood pressure by 6 mmHg.

Mean blood pressure measurements were 125 mmHg for a normal sodium diet, 126 mmHg for a high sodium diet, and 119 mmHg for a low sodium diet. Therefore, there was no significant difference between the normal and high sodium diet. However, returning to a high-sodium diet after switching to a low-sodium diet increased blood pressure.

These results show that lowering blood pressure through sodium reduction in the diet can be achieved safely and quickly within a week, Gupta said. Our study also supports the American Heart Association’s position that excess sodium intake above the recommended level is associated with increased blood pressure.

References

^{Reducing sodium intake significantly reduced blood pressure in less than a week. American Heart Association. 11 Nov. 2023. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/reducing-sodium-intake-significantly-lowered-blood-pressure-in-as-little-as-one-week?preview=133d. Accessed on November 13, 2023.}