Foods high in salt for low blood pressure

Because salt is often hidden in the foods we buy, it can be hard to know how much you’re eating or how to cut back. Here, you can find out how. 

How does salt raise your blood pressure?

Salt makes your body hold onto water. If you eat too much, the extra water in your blood means there is extra pressure on your blood vessel walls, raising your blood pressure.

If you already have high blood pressure, too much salt will raise it further, and may mean that any blood pressure medicines you’re taking don't work as well as they should.

Cutting down on salt is one of the simplest ways to lower your blood pressure, and will start to make a difference very quickly, even within weeks.

Eating too much salt can lead to all the health problems high blood pressure causes, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and some types of dementia. 

Salt and your kidneys

Your kidneys play an important role in removing fluid and waste products from your body and in controlling your blood pressure. Eating too much salt makes them less able to do their job, raising your blood pressure and leading to kidney disease.

Your kidneys filter out excess fluid from your blood, which then collects in your bladder to be removed as urine. They draw water out of your blood through osmosis – where the water travels from the blood which is relatively low in sodium into channels which are higher in sodium – sodium is the part of salt that raises your blood pressure.

Eating too much salt raises the amount of sodium in your blood, throwing off this fine balance of sodium and water, and damaging the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys.

Over time, the extra strain can damage the kidneys, leading to kidney disease. The kidneys are less able to do their job, raising your blood pressure and allowing fluid and waste products to build up in your body. Eventually this can lead to kidney failure and all the problems caused by high blood pressure, such as heart disease and stroke.

As well as eating less salt, eating more potassium will help to look after your kidneys and your blood pressure – as potassium is involved in the process of drawing water from your blood and into your kidneys. 

Eating less salt can help your blood pressure medications to work

If you have high blood pressure and you’re taking a diuretic medication, this will help the kidneys to remove fluid from your blood. The sodium in salt counteracts this effect of the diuretics, stopping them from working well.

Eating less salt will allow your medicines to work and your kidneys to do their job, lowering the amount of excess fluid in your blood and lowering your blood pressure.

How much salt is too much?

Adults should eat less than 6g of salt a day, but most of us eat much more. The latest figures show we’re eating around 8g a day on average.

Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the foods we buy ready-made, like bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, sauces and condiments, as well as ready meals and takeaways. This hidden salt accounts for around three quarters (75%) of the salt we eat, only a small amount comes from the salt we add while cooking or at the table. 

How to eat less salt

By learning some simple food swaps, understanding food labels and adding different flavours while cooking, you can slash your salt intake and still eat delicious food.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.

Email

ErrorEmail field is required

ErrorInclude a valid email address

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Many Americans have acquired a taste for a high salt diet. One way to cut back is to skip the table salt. However, most of the sodium in our diets comes from packaged, processed foods. Eating these foods less often can help reduce your sodium intake, lower your blood pressure and/or prevent high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) from developing in the first place.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mgs) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure. Even cutting back by 1,000 mg a day can improve blood pressure and heart health.

Salt vs. sodium equivalents

Sodium chloride or table salt is approximately 40 percent sodium. It’s important to understand just how much sodium is in salt so you can take measures to control your intake. These amounts are approximate.

• 1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium
• 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium
• 1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium

Sodium sources

Sodium can be sneaky! Taking control of your sodium means checking labels and reducing preservatives. Other foods to be aware of include:

• Processed foods
• Natural foods with a higher-than-average sodium content, including cheese, seafood, olives and some legumes
• Table salt, sea salt and kosher salt (sodium chloride)
• Some over-the-counter drugs
• Some prescription medications

Learn more about the sources of sodium.

Shopping and cooking

From the grocery aisles to your dinner table, here are some tips for reducing the amount of sodium that finds its way into your body.

Shop smart, cook smart

• Choose lower-sodium foods or low-sodium versions of your favorites. Although it may take some time for your taste buds to adjust to a lower sodium diet, there are delicious options for very flavorful low-sodium meals. Once the adjustment to healthier dining is made, many people report they would not choose to go back to the highly processed, sodium-rich foods.
• When buying prepared and prepackaged foods, read the labels. Americans consume up to 75 percent of their sodium from processed foods like soups, tomato sauce, condiments and canned goods. Watch for the words “soda” and “sodium” and the symbol “Na” on labels, which warn you that these products contain sodium compounds. Many canned and frozen food labels help the consumer by printing “low salt” or “low sodium” boldly on the packaging.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. When buying canned or frozen varieties, be sure to choose the no-salt added versions, and look for the choices without added sauces.
• Use fruit and raw vegetables as snacks.
• Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas and lentils.
• Select unsalted or low-sodium fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
• Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables with added salt to homemade dishes.
• Don’t use salt during cooking and remove the salt shaker from your table. Certain salt substitutes contain a large amount of potassium and very little sodium. They are not expensive and may be used freely by most people, except those with kidney disease. Talk with your health care professional about whether a salt substitute is right for you.
• Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the natural flavor of food. Ditch salt for healthier, delicious salt-free seasoning alternatives.
• Don’t salt food before you taste it; enjoy the natural taste of food.
• Follow the DASH eating plan.

Reduce sodium when dining out

Americans eat more restaurant-prepared meals now than ever, and restaurant food is often high in sodium. But controlling your sodium intake doesn’t have to spoil the pleasure of dining out. It just means adopting new habits into your current lifestyle. So if you love dining out, follow these tips.

When dining out:

• Be familiar with low-sodium foods and look for them on the menu.
• When ordering, be specific about what you want and how you want it prepared. Request that your dish be prepared without salt.
• Don’t use the salt shaker. Instead, use the pepper shaker or mill.
• Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to season fish and vegetables.

Seasoning alternatives — spice it up!

There is a rich world of creative and flavorful alternatives to salt. Get started with this guide to spices, herbs and flavorings and the food items with which they are a particularly good flavor match. Then get creative and experiment! Here are some seasonings to add variety:

• Allspice: Lean meats, stews, tomatoes, peaches, applesauce, cranberry sauce, gravies, lean meat
• Almond extract: Puddings, fruits
• Basil: Fish, lamb, lean ground meats, stews, salads, soups, sauces, fish cocktails
• Bay leaves: Lean meats, stews, poultry, soups, tomatoes
• Caraway seeds: Lean meats, stews, soups, salads, breads, cabbage, asparagus, noodles
• Chives: Salads, sauces, soups, lean meat dishes, vegetables
• Cider vinegar: Salads, vegetables, sauces
• Cinnamon: Fruits (especially apples), breads
• Curry powder: Lean meats (especially lamb), veal, chicken, fish, tomatoes, tomato soup
• Dill: Fish sauces, soups, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, salads, macaroni, lean beef, lamb, chicken, fish
• Garlic (not garlic salt): Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes
• Ginger: Chicken, fruits
• Lemon juice: Lean meats, fish, poultry, salads, vegetables
• Mace: Hot breads, apples, fruit salads, carrots, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, veal, lamb
• Mustard (dry): Lean meats, chicken, fish, salads, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, sauces
• Nutmeg: Fruits, potatoes, chicken, fish, lean meat loaf, toast, veal, pudding
• Onion powder (not onion salt): Lean meats, stews, vegetables, salads, soups
• Paprika: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables
• Parsley: Lean meats, fish, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables
• Peppermint extract: Puddings, fruits
• Pimiento: Salads, vegetables, casserole dishes
• Rosemary: Chicken, veal, lean meat loaf, lean beef, lean pork, sauces, stuffings, potatoes, peas, lima beans
• Sage: Lean meats, stews, biscuits, tomatoes, green beans, fish, lima beans, onions, lean pork
• Savory: Salads, lean pork, lean ground meats, soups, green beans, squash, tomatoes, lima beans, peas
• Thyme: Lean meats (especially veal and lean pork), sauces, soups, onions, peas, tomatoes, salads
• Turmeric: Lean meats, fish, sauces, rice

Learn more:

• Download a fact sheet on limiting sodium (PDF).
• Print a sodium tracker (PDF).

Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.

How can I increase my salt intake for low blood pressure?

Which salt is good for low blood pressure?

Does eating more salt help with low blood pressure?

How do you raise low blood pressure fast?