Fitness and Health: A Practical Guide to Nutrition, Exercise and Avoiding Disease

blood pressure may elevate. Basically, by increasing overall fitness and
health, blood pressure can be normalized in the majority of people.
It’s important to look at the whole person, as hypertension can
mean other problems exist. For example, kidney problems and nar-
rowed or “clogged” arteries are often associated with hypertension.

Sodium and Blood Pressure
A common notion about high blood pressure is that sodium causes it.
In some people with existing high blood pressure, excessive sodium
intake can magnify the problem. About 30 to 40 percent of those with
hypertension are sodium-sensitive. For these individuals, even moder-
ate amounts of sodium can increase their blood pressure further.
Obviously, these people should regulate their sodium intake. But salt
modification for those who have normal blood pressure is not neces-
sary, as sodium will not raise blood pressure in healthy individuals.
Sodium is a necessary nutrient, essential for good health. An
average healthy man of 150 pounds has about 9,000 milligrams of
sodium in his body. One-third of this is contained in healthy bones
and most of the remaining two-thirds surrounds the cells throughout
the rest of the body, where sodium is a major player in their regula-
tion. Balanced with potassium, sodium acts as an “electrochemical
pump.” Sodium also helps regulate the acid/alkaline balance, water
balance, the heartbeat and other muscle contractions, sugar metabo-
lism and even blood-pressure balance.

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Studies show that some cholesterol-lowering drugs (the statins)

can reduce inflammation. But considering the potential side

effects of these drugs, and their high cost, statins are an ineffi-

cient way to lower cardiac risk by reducing inflammation. The

study found the popular drugs Pravachol, Zocor and Lipitor sig-

nificantly reduced inflammation, thereby reducing the risk of

heart attack and stroke.

However, the long list of side effects for these drugs include

liver damage and problems with neurological, intestinal and

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