Salted eggplant is prepared by soaking the eggplant in thick salt water with spices such as garlic and chili. After a period of fermentation, the dish becomes crispy and salty.
It is this salting process that makes the sodium content in pickled onions many times higher than regular fresh vegetables.
Research by the National Institute of Nutrition shows that 100g of salted eggplant contains an average of 3-4g of salt (sodium chloride), equivalent to 1,200-1,600mg of sodium, nearly the maximum amount of sodium recommended by the WHO for a whole day (under 2g of sodium/day).
According to the WHO, eating salty foods helps the body retain water, increases circulation volume, thereby increasing blood pressure.
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level can help reduce average average average 56 mmHg of cardiopulmonary blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
For people with high blood pressure, the kidneys and heart are already under great pressure. Eating pickled eggplant regularly causes salt to accumulate, the kidneys have to filter a lot, and in the long run, it can easily lead to damage to kidney microchips. As a result, the risk of chronic kidney failure and heart failure increases.
People who regularly eat pickled foods more than 4 times a week have a 20% higher risk of chronic kidney disease than those who eat less than once a week.
The habit of eating a lot of sodium is closely related to the risk of stroke and heart failure in patients with high blood pressure.
Not only affecting blood pressure, pickled onions also have other potential risks: during the fermentation process, if hygiene is not guaranteed, the dish can produce nitrates.
When entering the stomach, nitrites combine with amino acids to form nitrosamine, a compound that can cause cancer.
Eating a lot of pickled foods increases the risk of stomach cancer by 15-20%.
This is especially noteworthy for people with high blood pressure, because the stomach and kidneys are both sensitive to a diet high in salt.
Safer alternatives:
Reduce frequency: If you love pickled onions, you should only eat them 1-2 times a month, eat small amounts and not eat them with pickled salt water.
Self-salt at home: Eat less salt, soak quickly, limit fermentation time to reduce sodium.
Increase fresh vegetables: Replace pickled eggplant with boiled vegetables, low-salt salads, and green vegetable soups for both delicious and blood pressure control.
Combine lifestyle: Exercise gently, drink enough water, limit alcohol to protect blood vessels.
