In a 2009 review, The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States, excess salt intake was shown to lead to 102,000 premature and preventable deaths each year.
One way to combat the salt problem is with BarleyMax. It’s packed with 100 milligrams per serving of blood pressure reducing potassium.
Salt, known scientifically as sodium chloride, is roughly 40% sodium and 60% chloride. On the one hand, the human body needs a trace amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles and regulate the balance of water and minerals.
On the other hand, the average American consumes at least 1.5 teaspoons of salt each day, and the USDA recommends limiting daily intake to one teaspoon (so average intake is a whopping 50% too high). Most Americans are unnecessarily putting themselves at risk of developing high blood pressure, increased inflammation and disease including cancer.
High Blood Pressure
Every time you go to your physician for a check-up, the doctor will check blood pressure almost immediately. Maintaining proper blood pressure is key to optimizing bodily function and fighting against potential diseases. High blood pressure can result in an abundance of health issues and deadly diseases:
- Heart attack
- Heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Aortic dissection
- Atherosclerosis
- Stroke
- Kidney damage
- Vision loss
- Erectile dysfunction
- Memory loss
- Fluid buildup in the lungs
- Angina
- Peripheral artery disease
It is easy to see why high blood pressure is called the “silent killer.” It causes the muscles that line the walls of the arteries to thicken and narrow the passage from the arteries to the heart. This forces the heart to work harder to distribute blood to the rest of the body.
Excess sodium has been shown to accelerate the effects of high blood pressure, and put the body at greater risk of developing diseases. High sodium in the bloodstream causes the kidneys to work harder to clean the blood, and increases the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream.
Increased blood volume means more work for the heart and more pressure on blood vessels. The extra work and pressure stiffen blood vessels and directly cause heart attack, stroke, heart failure and, over time, cardiovascular disease.
What Do You Do?
In an article titled
Salt and Sodium—Health Risks and Disease, The Harvard School of Public Health shows that
potassium has the opposite effect of sodium on the heart because it helps to:
- Relax blood vessels
- Excrete sodium
- Decrease blood pressure
Fresh vegetables and fruits—recommended in abundance by
Hallelujah Diet—are great natural sources of potassium that are low in sodium.
Issues Related to Inflammation
Another health malady related to salt is inflammation, which accelerates the growth of deadly diseases. Salt increases inflammation by pressuring blood vessels and causing them to expand. Expanded bloods vessels lead to swollen veins and arteries, which exert uncomfortable pressure on surrounding joints, often triggering arthritis.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. Rheumatoid arthritis is debilitating in nature because it causes extreme joint pain and encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Consequently, people are subject to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Hallelujah Diet’s
Joint Health supplement seeks to address the source of joint pain by stopping inflammation and rebuilding cartilage. With a unique, dual action formula, Joint Health uses 100% natural, plant-based ingredients designed to reduce inflammation from acute injuries and provide the body with vital nutrients that promote the body’s efforts to rebuild cartilage.
Additionally, salt can lead to internal inflammation, which greatly affects the autoimmune process and limits the body’s ability to fight harmful diseases. Inflammation has been shown to worsen many potentially deadly conditions:
- Obesity
- ADHD
- ADD
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Migraines
- Thyroid issues
- Dental issues
- Cancer
Eliminating Salt
While avoiding excess salt consumption is a key component of optimal health, the real danger lies in refined salt. This toxic food additive has been refined to remove 82 of the 84 minerals found in natural salt. Additionally, chemicals have been added to make the salt white and prevent it from absorbing moisture to allow it to flow from a salt shaker.
In contrast, unrefined sea salt has not been changed from its natural state, and contains minerals and elements that are useful to the body. Dr. Estevan Genoa states, “
sea salt has the ability to keep all bodily fluids, including the blood, in a balanced state. When a body exists in this state of equilibrium…the immune system will be strong, the metabolism will be healthy and bodily organs will be able to easily function.”
Tips to reduce refined salt consumption:
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Hallelujah Diet’s Celtic Sea Salt—Free of any processing, HD’s Celtic Sea Salt is harvested by hand by salt farmers who gather it from marshes in France. The unrefined sea salt contains no additives of any kind, and is sun-dried to seal in many vital trace nutrients.
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Avoid Animal-Based Food—Animal-based food, especially meat, is naturally high in sodium. Bacon and deli meats are processed with an abundance of sodium to keep them fresh in the fridge for days or weeks.
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Eliminate Processed Foods—Processed foods contain large quantities of salt to maintain freshness. Additionally, manufacturers’ recipes include salt as the primary ingredient. Much of Americans’ taste reliance on salt can be linked to the prevalence of processed foods.
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Maximize All-Natural Fruits and Vegetables—100% organic fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. They are also high in potassium, antioxidants, essential nutrients and fiber—all effective in reducing blood pressure.
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Pay Special Attention to Labels—Sodium content is listed on every food label, and should not be ignored. Many products that are high in added sugar are also high in sodium, but the sodium content is hidden in the excess sugar.
Takeaways
- Excess refined salt is a primary cause of high blood pressure, and can cause heart disease, heart attack, stroke and kidney damage.
- Inflammation is a byproduct of sodium intake, leads to rheumatoid arthritis and makes any internal disease worse.
- Processed foods use a lot of salt to preserve freshness and enhance flavor.
- Food labels should be read thoroughly because sodium can be hidden in other ingredients.
- Fruits and vegetables are low in sodium and high in essential nutrients.
