Health Pulse Sneaky salt Too much salt can cause your blood pressure to spike, especially as you get older. For adults in mid-life or beyond, most guidelines call for a daily maximum of 1,500 mg of sodium – the chemical that makes up 40% of table salt. Removing the salt shaker from your table doesn’t get you off the hook, as salt lurks in unexpected places. And you can’t fully rely on your taste buds: foods that the tongue perceives as highly salted, such as packaged nuts, may contain less salt than some blander-tasting foods. Here are some lesser-known culprits. ▶▶Cottage cheese: In one research experiment, a half-cup of low-fat cottage cheese was found to contain 360mg of sodium – twice as much as an ounce of potato chips. ▶▶Bread, rolls and bagels: the Centers for Disease Control lists them among the top-10 sources of dietary sodium. Ditto for fresh or processed poultry. ▶▶Shrimp: plain frozen shrimp is often salted for flavour. A 3-oz serving may contain as much as 800 mg of sodium. If you were to catch the shrimp yourself, the same amount would yield just 101 mg. And all bets are off with restaurant food, of course. Whenever possible, cook it yourself – and check the labels. Sources: WebMD, Scripps Health, Healthline.com Low-pressure eating Just as salty foods can raise your blood pressure, certain foods may help keep it down. In a study of middle-aged people, blood pressure dropped in those who ate three servings of whole wheat – but not refined grains – per day. Another study linked consumption of flaxseed to a reduction in blood pressure, both during the systolic (cardiac contraction) and diastolic (relaxation) phases. Bonus: the effect held true even in people on blood-pressure medications. For people who carry excess weight, fish may help keep blood pressure in check – but it has to be the right kind. In a European study of adults on a weight-loss diet, diastolic blood pressure dropped in those who ate fatty fish such as salmon, but not in those eating leaner fish such as cod. And what’s not to like about this finding? If you have higher-than-normal blood pressure, consuming dark chocolate or cocoa products rich in flavanols (a type of nutrient) may bring blood pressure down. A possible reason: the flavanols in cocoa products may trigger the formation of nitric oxide, a substance that widens blood vessels. Pass the cocoa nibs, please. Source: Berkeley Wellness Your veins on planes Air travel raises the risk of developing blood clots in the veins of your legs. That’s because flying has you sitting still for long stretches of time – the longer the flight, the greater the risk. While many blood clots dissolve on their own, a clot can break off and travel to one of your lungs, putting your life on the line. Fortunately, the overall risk of getting a blood clot remains very low, even if you travel a long distance. Your risk goes up if: ▶▶You’re older than 40 ▶▶You have varicose veins ▶▶You’re obese ▶▶You’re on hormone replacement therapy ▶▶You or a family member has had a previous blood clot ▶▶You’re being treated, or have recently been treated for cancer. Even if you have risk factors, you can probably keep flying, but check with your doctor to get the official green light. Compression stockings can improve blood flow, as can moving and stretching your legs. No leg room in your seat? Pull each knee up to your chest and hold it there for 15 seconds. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times over the course of your flight – or at the end of each Friends rerun. Sources: CDC, MedLinePlus CSANews | SPRING 2019 | 37
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