Is salt the only cause of hypertension?

The first medical recommendation for people with high blood pressure is to reduce salt intake in their diet.

Excessive salt consumption interferes with a natural safety mechanism in the brain that prevents blood pressure from rising. In other words, it dysregulates a hypothalamic circuit, causing the excessive release of an antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin), which leads to increased blood pressure or hypertension, according to a study published in the journal Neuron.

A teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2,300 mg of sodium, which meets the average daily sodium recommendation for adults.

However, the average person in the United States consumes about 3,000 to 3,600 mg of sodium per day (FDA).

Few people know that hypertension is also an inflammatory disease. It often originates from foods that cause sensitivities, triggering an immune reaction in the intestine that leads to leaky gut syndrome — a condition in which the intestinal barrier can no longer properly digest food or absorb nutrients.

A 2002 study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension described how following a gluten-free and unprocessed diet can help reduce high blood pressure levels (Lim, P. et al., 2002).

Gluten sensitivity damages the intestinal lining, decreasing its ability to absorb essential nutrients such as vitamin B12 and folinic acid. Both are necessary to regulate homocysteine, a compound linked to heart disease when it rises beyond normal levels.
A gluten-free diet, along with methylated B12 and methylated folate supplementation, can reverse hypertension in these cases.

Another study compared a group of celiac patients with positive antibodies to a control group, finding that many individuals who followed a gluten-free diet had lower blood pressure levels. This improvement was attributed to better absorption of B-complex vitamins, which help modulate homocysteine levels — also associated with blood pressure regulation (L. Wei et al., 2008).

At NutriWhite, we invite everyone who suffers from inflammatory diseases or hypertension to apply the 3R Protocol: Remove foods that cause sensitivity and inflammation, Replenish with nourishing, supportive foods, and in doing so, Recover from hypertension while promoting overall health and balance.

References:

1. El sodio en su dieta: https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/el-sodio-en-su-dieta
2. Reversible hypertension following coeliac disease treatment: the role of moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia and vascular endothelial dysfunction. Lim, P., Tzemos, N., Farquharson, C. et al. J Hum Hypertens 16, 411–415 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001404
3. The association between coeliac disease and cardiovascular disease L. WE y cols, 2008 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03594.x