Salty diet and blood pressure

# Can too much salt increase blood pressure? Table salt consists of sodium and chloride. As important electrolytes, together with other minerals they are involved in regulating the water balance and blood pressure. Sodium is also important for the transmission of impulses and therefore also for muscle function. But it can also be too much. A diet high in salt binds a lot of water in the body and thus increases the blood volume. The result is increased blood pressure, which can damage the heart, kidneys and blood vessels in the long term. Studies show that a low-salt diet can demonstrably lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily salt intake of around 5 grams (approximately one teaspoon) per day for adults, whereby this amount already includes invisible sources of salt. These are mainly processed foods such as bread, sausage, cheese, ready meals, instant soups, fast food, snacks and snack foods. Whether and how we react to a high-salt diet (salt sensitivity) varies from person to person. Genes are also involved, which influence the absorption, metabolization and excretion of sodium and thus influence the sensitivity or reaction to a high-salt diet. > ## Salt on everyone's lips... > > 75 - 90 percent of our daily salt intake comes from processed foods and eating out. The main sources are bread and pastries, meat and sausage products, cheese, ready meals, instant soups and salty snacks. To reduce salt intake, it makes sense to start with those products that are eaten in larger quantities. Bread and pastries, for example, absorb the most salt. There are products with a lower salt content in all product groups and it makes sense to pay attention to the salt content, at least in packaged goods. For example, salmon ham has 6 g salt/100 g - mortadella only 1.7 g. Processed cheese has 3 g/100g - cream cheese only 1.0 g. # What does genetics have to do with it? We are investigating a gene for salt sensitivity: The SCNN1A gene (sodium channel epithelial 1 subunit alpha gene) carries the blueprint for the α-subunit of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in cells, which plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and salt sensitivity. This channel enables the transport of sodium ions across the cell membrane into the cell interior, which regulates the water balance in the body and thus blood pressure. Variants of the SCNN1A gene are associated with increased salt sensitivity and an increased risk of high blood pressure. This effect is caused by increased sodium uptake into the cells and increased water reabsorption in the kidneys. Increased water reabsorption leads to an increase in blood volume and increases blood pressure. - Variants rs11614164 of the SCNN1A gene: The genotypes A/G and A/A show a low salt sensitivity and do not reveal any connection between salt consumption and blood pressure. - Variant rs4764586 of the SCNN1A gene: Genotypes A/C and A/A show increased salt sensitivity and react with an increase in blood pressure when salt consumption is high. - Variant rs3741914 of the SCNN1A gene: Genotypes C/T and C/C show low salt sensitivity and show no correlation between salt consumption and blood pressure.