This week marks the beginning of National Diabetes Month, which is observed every November to raise awareness of the disease and the 29 million Americans affected by it. As a salt free hot sauce, Doc’s is joining the movement to educate our community about how sodium affects those with diabetes.
One of the most common complications of diabetes is high blood pressure, or hypertension, which is when your blood uses too much force to move through your vessels. Your heart has to work harder when your pressure is high, putting patients at risk for heart disease, stroke, eye problems, and kidney disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes are especially at risk, as they are 20-60% more likely to have hypertension.
Decreasing sodium intake can help lower blood pressure and lower the risk or heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes. Having diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to completely cut sodium out of your diet, but knowing the risks, it’s a good idea to cut back. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that those at risk for heart disease, including people with type 2 diabetes, limit their dietary sodium to 1,500 mg/day.
Today the average American consumes 3,400 mg of sodium per day, which is far too much. Up to 80% of this sodium intake comes from the processed food industry, which has exploded in the last 40 years. As a consequence, more than 1/3 of American adults suffer from hypertension.
Help Doc’s raise awareness on diabetes and sodium by sharing your stories!
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