I am 73 years old. Some 30 years ago, my BP started going up, and I was advised to reduce salt. I did it and monitored my BP every day, and watched it go down gradually but steadily. and it stayed down for a few years. Then it started climbing again, and I started taking anti-hypertensive medications. I now take two different such medications to keep my BP within normal range, and I watch my diet. Eliminating salt from your diet is very difficult because so many things contain salt. It's not just avoiding the salt shaker and avoiding salt in the food you cook. Most people do not know it, but milk, bread and most cold cuts and cheeses contain salt. Meats and fishes also contain some salt. The only things that contain no salt are potatoes, fruit and veggies, rice, grains, beans and unsalted nuts. You can accustom your taste buds to "like" unsalted food and, after a few weeks, you will find even lightly salted things too salty and wonder how you ever ate them. Depending on your personal situation, you might make life very complicated for the people you live with. If you decide to embark on this low sodium effort, make sure your BP elevation is not so high as to pose a serious risk, because you could do yourself harm if you do not get your BP under control promptly. Another thing to consider is that some people with high BP have a form of the disease that is particularly salt-sensitive. They respond especially well to reduced sodium intake. If your illness is not of that type, then you will probably eventually find that sodium restriction does not afford you the degree of BP control that you need, and you will have to start taking medication. Of you can try calcium supplements, but they can be constipating. The cheapest and for most people safest starting antihypertensive medication is hydochlorthiazide (HCZT), which is available as a generic and costs less than $20 per month. It's a very safe drug, and you will probably not experience any unpleasant side effects. Blood pressure control is one of the few areas where the drug industry has succeeded very well. The available treatments are highly effective and extremely safe. You will hardly know you are taking any medication, and the "silent killer" can be kept safely at bay.

Barb, as others have pointed out, most salt substitutes contain potassium chloride. For a healthy person, ingesting a bit of extra potassium is no problem. However, many people who are placed on low sodium diets have serious health problems and take several medications that must be balanced with their diet. For example, my husband is on a salt-restricted diet and takes diuretics, including a potassium-sparing one, along with coumadin and other cardiac-related medications. So he has to monitor his intake of green-leafy vegetables and avoid salt substitutes. When he was first diagnosed with congestive heart failure, his cardiologist told him NOT to use any salt substitutes. Sometimes people with CHF and other heart-related health issues also have reduced kidney function, so that precludes them from using potassium chloride based salt substitutes. The article below explains things well: From the Harvard School of Public Health: REDUCED OR NO-SODIUM SALTS Potassium chloride tastes a lot like sodium chloride, and is the main ingredient in reduced- or no-salt substitutes. It has a bitter aftertaste, especially when heated, and so isnâÂÂt recommended for cooking. Some companies add L-lysine, a common amino acid, to mask or neutralize the bitter taste. Sodium-free substitutes contain 100 percent potassium chloride, while âÂÂliteâ salts replace up to half of the table salt with potassium chloride. Because most Americans get too little potassium, using a potassium-based salt substitute could offer some small protection against high blood pressure, stroke, heart rhythm problems, kidney trouble, and even osteoporosis. (But not nearly as much as cutting back on sodium, not smoking, and exercising!) It isnâÂÂt for everyone, though. Check with your doctor before trying a potassium-based salt substitute. Most people can tolerate extra potassium, and actually need more of this mineral. But extra potassium can be dangerous for people who have trouble flushing out any excess or who are taking medications that can increase potassium levels in the bloodstream. This includes people with diabetes or kidney disease, those who have had a blocked urinary flow, or those taking a potassium-sparing diuretic, an ACE inhibitor, or an angiotensin-receptor blocker. Here is a link that might be useful: Harvard School of Public Health - Salt Substitutes

HereÂs an excerpt from an article called "Salt: What is wrong with it?" The flaw in this theory is that most petfoods do not rely on salt as a seasoning. If you have ever tasted petfood, you know one thing for sure: It is bland. For our palate, it could do with a bit of salt seasoning. But in petfood salt is primarily used to a level necessary to meet nutrient requirements. Short of renal or heart failure, hypertension is not a big issue for dogs or cats. So, is there really anything wrong with salt? This article goes on to discuss the misconceptions about salt and its perceived health risk. Here is a link that might be useful: Is salt bad for pet food?

Wish my husband would take this healthy-eating, need to exercise attitude more seriously. Good for your DH to actually do something about his health - he will thank himself when he's in his 60's! Our big sabotage to healthy eating is all these car club gettogethers, with the potluck (one club REALLY know how to put out the good food!) so summer is actually full of more temptations for us - plus the cruise nights at - where else - a fast-food drivein. I've gotten really good at finding the low-cal, less dangerous items on the menu, but it's hard! I like alot of the stuff that's good for me, but DH goes for the double cheese-greasy, and of course, it comes with fries! We're starting to eat before we go to the drive-ins, and when I fix a meal, I stress to him - "now, the green beans are part of the meal" - or "there's your dish of peaches" etc. - and he's starting to eat them - used to just say "I don't want any right now" and I'd let it go - but I want him around a few more years, so I keep encouraging him. Eating right is a lifelong habit.