Can too much salt increase blood pressure?

Table salt consists of sodium and chloride. As important electrolytes, together with other minerals they are involved in regulating the water balance and blood pressure. Sodium is also important for the transmission of impulses and therefore also for muscle function.

But it can also be too much. A diet high in salt binds a lot of water in the body and thus increases the blood volume. The result is increased blood pressure, which can damage the heart, kidneys and blood vessels in the long term.

Studies show that a low-salt diet can demonstrably lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily salt intake of around 5 grams (approximately one teaspoon) per day for adults, whereby this amount already includes invisible sources of salt. These are mainly processed foods such as bread, sausage, cheese, ready meals, instant soups, fast food, snacks and snack foods.

Whether and how we react to a high-salt diet (salt sensitivity) varies from person to person. Genes are also involved, which influence the absorption, metabolization and excretion of sodium and thus influence the sensitivity or reaction to a high-salt diet.

Salt on everyone's lips...

75 - 90 percent of our daily salt intake comes from processed foods and eating out. The main sources are bread and pastries, meat and sausage products, cheese, ready meals, instant soups and salty snacks. To reduce salt intake, it makes sense to start with those products that are eaten in larger quantities. Bread and pastries, for example, absorb the most salt. There are products with a lower salt content in all product groups and it makes sense to pay attention to the salt content, at least in packaged goods. For example, salmon ham has 6 g salt/100 g - mortadella only 1.7 g. Processed cheese has 3 g/100g - cream cheese only 1.0 g.

What does genetics have to do with it?