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Hypertension is a very dangerous condition, and it is because of the heart problems that it can cause a person. “Hypertension is a disease whose chief characteristic is high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs when the blood being pumped from your heart, pushes too hard against the walls of your veins” (Jenkins 2). Mainly it is very detrimental when a child has high blood pressure, when they have this heart disease it can affect them more in their adult life. Even for adults, it is very dangerous for their health as well.
People who consume too much salt have a probability of developing high blood pressure because sodium which is found in salt increases blood volume. Salt is a mineral that people cannot live without, it is what gives their food that appealing taste this is why it is so difficult to stop consuming salt. “In large amounts, sodium pulls fluids from the body’s tissues and into the blood, which raises the blood volume and compels the heart to pump more forcefully” (Moss 268). This heart condition affects one in four Americans, and they do not even realize it. “Doctor groups help press conferences to sound the alarm that many patients did not even know they had high blood pressure until they developed more evident complications” (Moss 267). When it comes to high blood pressure it can be very dangerous, because if it is not controlled, it can lead to organ damage that is permanent or worse.
In addition, people that purchase processed foods do not have a clue of how much sodium is being put in the product they are consuming. “About 3 quarts of salt was being consumed just in a week or so, all this came from processed foods” (Moss 270). Companies who make processed food products poured bags and more bags into their products, which is very unhealthy for people to consume. Products that are high in sodium and are processed foods are, “boxed macaroni and cheese, their tomato sauce, canned spaghetti and meatballs, salad dressings, pizzas and soups” (Moss 270). “Among older children and adults, however, excessive salt intake leads to volume expansion and arterial hypertension. Children who are overweight, born preterm, or small for gestational age and African American children are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure due to a high salt intake because they are more likely to be salt-sensitive”. High blood pressure can get out of control if there is no change in diet, also if the medications are not being used as prescribed. If someone is not eating properly, they will have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure. “Even items that manufacturers were making expressly for people who wanted to lose weight or manage afflictions like diabetes—the low-fat, low-sugar versions of their brands—were delivering huge doses of salt”. “Salt is a mineral that is very well known to people and it is not something they love, but it is how much they crave for salt”.
“In children, there is increasing evidence that obesity and high salt intake are not only important risk factors for hypertension but possibly also the two most important modifiable risk factors”. Salt intake in people is very dangerous, this is what causes one’s blood pressure to increase. Around the world, children have increased their intake of salt which is very bad for their health.
“2,300 is the maximum amount of sodium, measured in milligrams, that the federal government recommends people to eat every day. In 2010, the government lowered this target for people who are especially vulnerable to the hazards of salt: people fifty-one years or older, blacks of any age, and anyone with diabetes, hypertension, or chronic kidney disease. These 143 million people - a majority of American adults - were now being urged to keep their sodium intake below 1,500 milligrams a day - less than a teaspoon a day”.
It is very important that children or even adults have a reduction in the consumption of salt. “Elevated blood pressure in obese individuals is usually associated with a volume-dependent increase in stroke volume, sodium retention, and higher salt sensitivity, probably due to the combined effects of hyperinsulinemia, hyperaldosteronism, and increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system”. “When it comes to hyperinsulinemia it corresponds with the blood pressure when it is elevated”.
Salt is something that the industry needs to reduce in their products because people’s health is at risk.
“But the more the industry looked at salt, the more it realized that the consumer was only part of the problem. The manufacturers themselves were utterly, inexorably hooked on the stuff. Each year, food companies use an amount of salt that is every bit as staggering as it sounds: 5 billion pounds. And that’s because, for them, the salty taste that drives people to keep eating popcorn until the bag is empty is just the start of salt’s powers. Manufacturers view salt as perhaps the most magical of the three pillars of processed foods, for all the things it can do beyond exciting the taste buds. In the world of processed foods, salt is the great fixer”.
The food industry does whatever it can to get large amounts of salts in people’s bloodstreams. The way that they do this is by adding sodium into their products, they are like additives, there are a few different types of sodium, all these different types of sodiums are added to the products. “The different types of sodiums are with names like sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and sodium acid pyrophosphate, these compounds have become essential components in processed foods, making them look and taste attractive and last longer on the shelf”. This is why consumers need to pay attention to what they are purchasing.
In conclusion, sodium is a mineral that needs to be reduced in consumption. Since heart disease like high blood pressure (hypertension) can be developed due to this mineral. High blood pressure as stated in the previous paragraphs is a heart disease that is very dangerous especially when the person does not control it. High blood pressure can affect anyone from any age, but mostly when a person is obese.
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