7 Salty Foods That Could Put You at Risk of Hypertension

Excessive salt consumption is a known cause of high blood pressure or hypertension. Many hypertensive patients are advised to cut down or avoid consuming salt in their food. Common salt contains sodium, a mineral known to cause an increase in blood pressure. Despite this awareness, most people consume foods loaded with salt, increasing their risk of hypertension. While you must include low sodium diet foods to keep hypertension away, here are seven salty foods that you must avoid at all costs.

7 Salty Foods That Can Put You at Risk of Hypertension

Here are seven salty foods that you need to avoid to keep away hypertension:

1. 1. Processed Foods

      

      We all have been tempted to pick up products from the grocery store– canned soups, sausages, processed meats, vegetables, candied fruits, and lots more. While these are indulgent, they contain lots of preservatives and sodium. Many processed foods contain sodium as a preservative, flavoring, and cures processed meats. All this salt makes processed foods a high-risk food for hypertension. Also, eating a lot of processed foods can cause cancer.

      Apart from sodium, processed foods are also loaded with unhealthy saturated and trans fats that increase your cholesterol levels, increasing your risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Processed foods are one of the many reasons young adults and people in their 30s and 40s suffer from hypertension.

      Another set of processed foods that you must avoid are juices laden with preservatives. It is very common to believe that you are eating healthy by consuming readymade juices available in cartons, cans, and bottles. However, just like canned soups, these juices contain many preservatives, including sodium, that increase your chances of developing high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.

   2. Pickles

      

      If you love pickles, you need to be extra watchful about your sodium intake. Brining is an integral part of making pickles and involves using saltwater. So pickles are, inevitably, loaded with sodium. So, if you are a pickle lover, you should consume it in very small quantities once in a while. If you have high blood pressure, it is recommended that you look for low-sodium options.

   3. Canned Soup

      

      A bowl of warm soup is comforting no matter the occasion. While soups are meant to be healthy and nutritious, preserving all the goodness of the vegetables and meat they are prepared from takes some time and effort. Most of us reach out to canned or ready-to-eat soups available in the market to save on time. However, most of us don’t realize that these soups are not nutritious but loaded with preservatives like sodium, increasing your risk for hypertension.

      Another set of canned foods that you should keep out of your kitchen area is canned tomato products. Canned and preserved tomato products are loaded with sodium and increase your risk for hypertension, obesity, and even cancer.

   4. Condiments

      

      To reduce your salt intake yet keep the flavor and taste of food, using herbs, spices and condiments is a great idea. However, while herbs and spices are safe to use, using condiments like ketchup preserved sauces (soy, barbecue, honey mustard, mayonnaise, steak, etc.) is a trap you should avoid. While these appear harmless, they are tricking you into consuming more sodium. Learn more about which herbs and spices are the best salt substitute and reduce your risk for hypertension.

   5. Frozen Pizza

      

      Frozen pizzas are a great meal when you run short on time or are bored of cooking. But did you know that manufacturers add lots of salt once the pizza has been cooked and before it is packed? The salt increases the shelf life of the frozen pizza, and some pizzas contain sodium as high as 900-1000 mg! This makes frozen pizzas and other such products high-risk for hypertension development.

   6. Deli Meats

      

      Deli meats are a great place to source your meats, but they are full of sodium. Yes, you read that right. To preserve, cure, and season deli meats like ham, bacon, etc., a lot of salt is used. Those who load up on these meats have a high risk of hypertension.

   7. Salad Dressing

      

      Salads are one of the most common things people turn to while making healthy changes to their dietary habits. While freshly cut vegetables are tasty and crunchy, we always use dressings to enhance their flavor profile and make salads more palatable. However, these readymade salad dressings that you get in your grocery store or hypermarket are packed with sodium-rich preservatives.

Conclusion

Most of us try and avoid or reduce our sodium intake by consuming low-salt foods. However, we don’t realize it when we unknowingly consume foods loaded with salt and increase our risk for hypertension. Find more information about how to lower your blood pressure or connect with an expert for detailed counsel on BPinControl.