It’s now being reported by medical professionals, that fewer than 2 tablespoons of salt a day may raise your chances of having a stroke. In a new study, consisting of over 2,600 participants some shocking new finding came about. It was found that participants who consumed more than 4,000 milligrams of salt a day were 2 ½ times more likely to suffer from a stoke than participants who consumed 1,500 milligrams or less. The most interesting finding however was that these results remained the same whether the participant had high blood pressure or nor. It’s been known that high blood pressure is a major stroke risk factor; it was interesting to find out that salt independent of raising blood pressure also increased risk for stroke.
This study brings up the important question; how much salt (sodium) is too much? The American Heart Association recommends 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for a similar amount, suggesting that the general public get less than 2,300 milligrams a day. With that number being slightly lower at 1,500 milligrams a day for those over 50 or who have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. After looking at this studies results it seems as though Americans aren’t doing a very good job of meeting these recommendations. A staggering 88% of participants said they got more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day and 21% got more than 4,000 milligrams a day.
This study brings up the question; what foods do people need to eat in order to achieve a healthier level of sodium consumption?
The article can be found here!
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