Women are more sensitive to THIS everyday substance that we all need to watch for our health

Salt, the tabletop condiment that we cook with and add to our meals, is a dietary element that when consumed over healthy levels is often behind the medical condition called hypertension. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 globally.

Salt sensitivity—where the body fails to excrete excess salt—is found in a new study published in Hypertension to be more common in women than men, so this will have implications for blood pressure control.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

• Blurry or double vision.
• Lightheadedness/Fainting.
• Fatigue.
• Headache.
• Heart palpitations.
• Nosebleeds.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.

Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:

• heart disease.
• heart attacks.
• strokes.
• heart failure.
• peripheral arterial disease.
• aortic aneurysms.
• kidney disease.
• vascular dementia.

According to Medical News Today, there are a number of factors increasing the risk of developing hypertension:

• Age: Hypertension is more common over the age of 65
• Ethnicity: some ethnic groups are more prone to hypertension than others
• Weight: obesity is a primary risk factor for hypertension
• Regular use of alcohol and tobacco
• Sex: males have a higher risk of developing hypertension than females. However, this is only until females reach menopause
• Existing health conditions: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and high cholesterol levels can lead to hypertension, especially as people age.

Salt comprises around 40% sodium ions and 60% chloride ions. We need a small amount of sodium, around 500mg (or a quarter teaspoon of salt) per day, to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals.

Globally, people consume an average of 9 to 12 grams of salt daily—around double the World Health Organization recommendation of 5 grams daily for cardiovascular health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises increasing the fresh food in your diet to reduce salt intake, and if eating processed foods, look for those that have less than 600mg per serving.

Advice on lowering salt intake  is valid for everyone, not just salt-sensitive women, as Dr. Belin de Chantemèle explained:

“People need to follow the recommendations of the American Heart Association regarding salt consumption. Currently, the average amount [of sodium] consumed per day is 3.4g when the AHA recommend 2.3g knowing that the ideal amount would be 1.5g.”