Epidemolog Nancy R. Cook and his team conduct research Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) conducted in two stages. The first stage is the end of the 1980s and the second stage in the early 1990s. The first phase of the study, focusing on four issues of stress management, healthy eating, and reduced salt.
Whereas in the second stage focuses on weight loss and salt reduction. They involve thousands of respondents 3 consists of men and women. The respondents confirmed no problems with blood vessels and their blood pressure.
Respondents then divided into two groups. The first group were taught to choose foods that are low in sodium, while the second group was taught only how to choose healthy foods in general. Both groups were observed during the study salt consumption.
In the first phase of research that lasted for 18 months, respoden in the first group in a day consuming only a thousand milligrams of sodium, equivalent to 1 ½ teaspoon salt. And this measure to save them from the blood vessel disorders including high blood pressure.
In phase II studies conducted over 36 months, respondents were given directions how to choose foods that are low sodium levels, managed to reduce consumption to 750 milligrams of sodium which is equivalent to one-third teaspoon resulting in the quality of the blood vessels that prime.
While the group only to be told how to choose healthy foods in general, did not significantly affect the levels of sodium in the body. Even the 9 per cent of them still had a heart attack or stroke, whereas those who choose the food to control the sodium content is only experiencing the problem as much as 7.5 percent.
In the body, sodium is needed to deliver the stimulus to our nervous system and to keep adequate minerals remain in the body. But our bodies do not like all that much, including sodium. When the excess will be difficult for the kidneys to remove fluid which then made between the cells become more numerous. This is what then makes the volume increase in blood circulation which then increases the pressure in the blood or plural we call hypertension.
The recommended dose of ½ - 1 teaspoon in a day is a salty taste that we may enjoy. But for us who have kidney problems and high blood pressure, safe dosage of about ½ teaspoon. (PreventionIndonesia / Priska Siagian)
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