Salt

[Sly Saint]

Two more videos which show not only that the scientific evidence indicates that a low salt diet does not greatly reduce hypertension, but that it also vastly increases the bodies production of triglycerides, angiotensin, aldosterone, cholesterol, and raises insulin resistance all of which are harmful to cardiac health.

This is the link to the second video Why Salt does NOT Increase Risk of Heart Disease | Jason Fung

eta: WHO report
Effects of low sodium diet versus high sodium diet on blood pressure, renin, aldosterone, catecholamines, cholesterol, and triglyceride

 

[Sly Saint]

More on the issue of salt.
Specifically Salt sensitivity which is another angle that needs to be considered.
There is loads on this .
Here's some recent research:
October 21, 2024
Clue to salt-sensitive blood pressure found

About half of all people with high blood pressure exhibit SSBP. Their blood pressure goes up or down acutely, mirroring high or low consumption and resulting blood levels of dietary salt (primarily sodium chloride). But salt sensitivity also occurs in about 25% of people who do not have hypertension.

Despite the well-established link between high salt intake and cardiovascular disease and stroke, “the mechanism of SSBP is poorly understood, and it remains an untreatable cardiovascular risk with no widely available diagnostic tool,” the VUMC researchers reported recently in the journal Circulation Research.

Clue to salt-sensitive blood pressure found - VUMC News

various places talk about how to 'test' yourself to see if you are salt sensitive or not. There isn't an official test for it.
There is also the argument that the problem is not too much sodium but insufficient potassium intake.

It is proving so difficult to find trustworthy definitive answers on this.

 

[Sly Saint]

Too much salt may inflame the brain

A discovery challenges long-held beliefs about hypertension and points to the brain as a new treatment target.​

Date:August 23, 2025Source:McGill University
Summary:Too much salt may inflame the brain, triggering hormones that push blood pressure higher.
Scientists found this pathway could explain why many patients resist current hypertension drugs, pointing toward the brain as a new treatment target.

A new study finds that a high-salt diet triggers brain inflammation that drives up blood pressure.

The research, led by McGill University scientist Masha Prager-Khoutorsky in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team at McGill and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, suggests the brain may be a missing link in certain forms of high blood pressure - or hypertension - traditionally attributed to the kidneys.
"This is new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door for developing treatments that act on the brain," said Prager-Khoutorsky, associate professor in McGill's Department of Physiology.

Hypertension affects two-thirds of people over 60 and contributes to 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Often symptomless, the condition increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems.

About one-third of patients don't respond to standard medications, which primarily target the blood vessels and kidneys based on the long-standing view that hypertension begins there. The study, published in the journal Neuron, suggests the brain may also be a key driver of the condition, particularly in treatment-resistant cases.
"The brain's role in hypertension has largely been overlooked, in part because it's harder to study," Prager-Khoutorsky said. "But with new techniques, we're able to see these changes in action."

The researchers used rats instead of the more commonly studied mice because rats regulate salt and water more like humans. That makes the findings more likely to apply to people, noted Prager-Khoutorsky.

Too much salt can hijack your brain

Too much salt may inflame the brain, triggering hormones that push blood pressure higher. Scientists found this pathway could explain why many patients resist current hypertension drugs, pointing toward the brain as a new treatment target.

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[MeSci]

My high blood pressure appeared to have been due to a tooth infection. When I had the infected tooth removed, my bp returned to normal.

Also my excessive urine production stopped at the same time.

I had suffered both conditions for years.

Why the connection? I have no idea!