It may be for this reason that salt reduces blood pressure

Reduce the sodium in your diet. This is the advice inevitably given to everyone.

Limiting sodium intake has been essential for reducing blood pressure. Now, researchers may have found an underlying mechanism to explain why.

Scientists have examined hundreds of metabolite substances produced during digestion from blood samples taken as part of a study conducted among 64 black British residents with hypertension or high blood pressure high. All participants were instructed to follow a low sodium diet, but none of them took any medication or treatment for their condition.

The researchers found that reducing sodium intake resulted in higher levels of two specific metabolites, both associated with lower blood pressure levels and arterial stiffness.

The study builds on the science of metabolomics, which examines the reaction of small molecules to changes in their environment. In this case, the sodium levels changed the setting.

While everyone in the study was on a low sodium diet, half of them received a slow-release sodium tablet for six weeks. The others received placebos. The researchers then changed the pill for another six weeks.

"We know that a reduced sodium intake reduces blood pressure and cardiovascular risk.However, the underlying biological mechanisms are not well established," said Dr. Haidong Zhu, lead author of the report. study published Monday in the journal of the American Heart Association Hypertension.

Researchers looked at metabolites in blood samples to determine which ones were modified at the same time as sodium modification, she explained.

They found that reducing sodium intake resulted in the increase of two specific types of metabolites – beta-hydroxyisovalerate and methionine sulfone – as well as a slight drop in blood pressure.

"The changes could represent an underlying biological pathway involved in this regulation of sodium," said Zhu, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

The results were based on a sodium reduction of approximately 1,120 milligrams per day, from 3,800 mg to 2,680. This decrease was associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure (the highest number in one measurement) and diastolic pressure (the lowest number).

The AHA recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of salt and ideally no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. On average, Americans consume more than 3,400 mg of sodium a day.

Zhu said that additional research should validate the results of the study because of the small size of his sample. But she hopes that new studies will lead to the development of a drug targeting the pathways impaired by sodium intake.

Casey Rebholz, an assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, pointed out that the study was focused on the black population. .

In the United States, the prevalence of high blood pressure among African Americans is one of the highest in the world. More than 40% of black men and women suffer from hypertension.

Rebholz pointed out that the flagship study entitled Dietary Approaches to Stopping Sodium Hypertension showed that a low-sodium diet was particularly effective at lowering blood pressure in black participants and in those suffering from hypertension.

"It's a large group of people to continue studying," she said.

Rebholz said the new research supported standard advice given by doctors to many patients.

"It shows people that modifying and improving their diet, including consuming less sodium, is important for lowering blood pressure."

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The American Heart Association News covers the health of the heart and brain. All opinions expressed in this story do not reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is the property of the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have any questions or comments about this story, please send an email to [email protected].