A study published in the journal Hypertension shows that maintaining a healthy diet with plenty of green vegetables, fruits and whole grains still cannot eliminate the impact of consuming too much salt on blood pressure.
Researchers from Imperial College London and Northwestern University (USA) analyzed the diets of more than 4,600 people aged 40-59 in the US, UK, Japan and China.
The results showed that people who consumed more salt had higher blood pressure, regardless of how healthy their daily diet was.
Previously, many experts believed that eating a lot of green vegetables and fruits - foods rich in potassium, could help reduce the impact of salt on blood pressure. However, new research shows that although these foods have the effect of supporting blood pressure reduction, they cannot completely compensate for the adverse effects of eating too much salt.
In the study, volunteers were monitored for four days. The research team collected urine samples to measure sodium and potassium levels, and recorded indicators of height, weight and blood pressure. The participants' diet was also evaluated based on more than 80 nutrients related to blood pressure control such as vitamin C, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and potassium.
Analysis results show that even in people with diets rich in potassium and beneficial nutrients, high salt consumption is still closely related to high blood pressure.
The study also recorded that the average daily salt consumption in the UK is 8.5 g, the US 9.6 g, Japan 11.7 g and China 13.4 g - all exceeding the recommended level for adults in the UK of no more than 6 g of salt/day.
According to Ms. Queenie Chan, co-author of the study at the Royal College of London, the results show that there is no "shortcut" in controlling blood pressure. "Reducing salt intake is still the most important factor, even if you are maintaining a balanced and healthy diet," she emphasized.
The research team said that the data collected over four days only reflected a short period. In the future, they expect to conduct longer-term studies on a larger scale to better assess the link between diet and blood pressure.
