The K-Factor
The American diet is loaded with too much salt and hypertension is the result of too much of this compound.
Salt creates an imbalance factor scientist call the K-factor. The K-factor is the ratio of potassium to sodium in the diet. It’s a simple calculation anyone can make. A good book to read on this is The K-Factor.
The K-factor is simply obtained by dividing the amount of potassium in the food by the amount of sodium. A good K-factor would be 3 or greater. An easy way to tell if a food is: a good number is natural food with little preparation is high, and man made food or over processed food is usually low.
Salt Was Very Scarce In The Last Century
In the last century, salt was very scarce, unlike our modern diet which is loaded with salt.
A natural diet has much less salt then our fast food industry which is overloaded with sodium.
In Roman times the soldiers received there pay in salt rations, the same way the early gold miners were paid in gold dust. That is where we got the word salary it is from “salt ration.”
And even now in certain parts of the world salt still is more valuable.
Salt and Overweight People
When the dietary K-factor of an society is three or more, then high blood pressure is very low, usually less than 2% of the population, and this effects mostly overweight people.
As this ratio moves to one, high blood pressure in the population increases dramatically.
When you have enough potassium in the diet it helps neutralize salt, but you can’t restore the K-factor by just adding potassium you also have to limit salt intake.
Potassium Helps to Get Rid of Excess Salt
Sodium and potassium are the two main electrolytes in the body. The third is chloride, which is also essential.
Potassium is present in natural food, so salt has never been a problem until the last few years. Sodium and chloride are very scarce in foods that are good for us.
The body’s kidneys not only eliminate waste materials, they are also designed to conserve sodium and chloride. In a natural environment it’s one of the kidneys most important functions. So naturally when there’s an excess of sodium and chloride salt in the diet, the kidneys conserve it.
The kidneys have been doing this since the beginning of time.
Through a complex series of interactions, this conservation of sodium and chloride causes and increase in blood volume. This increase in blood volume causes blood pressure to rise.
That’s why just adding potassium supplements alone is not enough to lower BP.
Salt Sensitivity
Some people with hypertension are more sensitive to salt than others. Experts say this is about 50% of all people with hypertension. These people can not tolerate more than about 300mg of sodium a day. That is about 500mg of salt. That translates into a little over 1/8 teaspoon. People with this sensitivity should be on a low sodium diet, fast foods are out and any box food in the supermarket are off limits, because this type of food is overloaded with salt.
Natural foods that lower blood pressure are the best way to limit salt consumption because they are naturally low in sodium, being on a low sodium diet can help to eliminate medication or at least lower it.
You have to control the K-factor, and sodium and salt consumption.
Fiber Supplements
Fiber will reduce blood pressure a little by getting rid of excess salt, and a good fiber supplement is the best way to get more fiber in our diet. Fiber will help reduce salt and high blood pressure problems.
Calcium-Magnesium Supplements Can Help.
Calcium-Magnesium help to balance the sodium and chloride in the body. So researchers did some studies all they did is provide volunteers with calcium-magnesium supplement and their blood pressure cleared up.
Omega-3 Fish Oil
Omega-3 is natures teflon, these oils simply act like teflon to make the arterial wall more slippery.
In the membranes of blood cells, especially red cells, they also make them more flexible. This adds up to easier blood flow. And the easier the blood flows means the heart doesn’t have to pump as hard to move the blood around. What that means to you is lower blood pressure.
Resveratrol Supplements Help Lower Blood Pressure
Just some of Resveratrol benefits are the help with the lowering of cholesterol and helping to clear the arteries and thus lowering blood pressure and plus resveratrol helps to slow the aging process so you can feel 25 years younger and live 25 years longer and have a healthier life.
Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure
Garlic lowers blood pressure by relaxing the muscles around the veins and arteries so lowers blood pressure and so does green tea both are very good in the fight against salt and high blood pressure.
http://www.resveratrol-and-anti-aging.com – Allen Partch has been studying nutrition for over 30 years and enjoys helping people have better health. Any questions call Allen at 1888.340.4425. You may use this article if you include this bio-box.
