High Blood Pressure: THIS salt substitute can help to lower high BP levels

High Blood Pressure is one not only common but also one of the dangerous ailments. The disease which is known as the silent killer if left untreated can lead to deadly diseases such as stroke and heart attack. And health subject readers know that both these disorders are the leading causes of death. For the unversed, ideal BP is considered to be between 90/60mm Hg and 120/80mm Hg.

Aside from medications, there are several natural ways to curb and prevent it. Few of the common recommendations doctors give include decreasing the intake of salt and sodium-rich foodstuff, increasing the consumption of potassium, calcium and magnesium-rich foods and elimination of alcohol and smoking. Today we are talking spicy food can act as a salt substitute and how the same can combat hypertension.

As per a study published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension, those who enjoyed spicy foods appeared to eat less salt and have lower blood pressure.  Author Zhiming Zhu, M.D., Professor, and Director of the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology at the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China said, "Previously, a pilot study found that trace amounts of capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their pungent smell, enhanced the perception of food being salty."

As per the study, participants who enjoyed spicy food over others who least enjoyed spicy showed 8mm Hg lower systolic reading and 5mm Hg lower diastolic BP reading. The researchers also used imaging techniques to know detailed information. They checked two regions of brains - the insula and orbitofrontal cortex. For the unversed, these regions of the brain are activated during the intake of salt.

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The study's result showed that the areas stimulated by salt were getting overlapped with spicy. The increased activity also makes people more sensitive to salt and they start enjoying food with less of it. Zhu said, "If you add some spices to your cooking, you can cook food that tastes good without using as much salt. Yes, habit and preference matter when it comes to spicy food, but even a small, gradual increase in spices in your food may have a health benefit."

Do you know why salt is bad for high BP patients?
Excess salt can lead to water retention and stored water raises your blood pressure and puts a strain on your kidneys, arteries, heart, and brain. As per reports, one should not have more than 6grams of salt per day and the same is around one teaspoon. And salts are hidden in our daily foodstuff such as soups, sauces, ready-made meals and cereals among others.

Bottomline
Try to reduce the intake of salt, packaged and fried items and replace salt with spices. Also, include some form of physical activity as well to achieve normal and healthy BP levels.