Cardiologists are warning of an often overlooked ingredient in desserts that can lead to high blood pressure if consumed in excess.

Typically a garnish on cookies, bread and butter, soft pretzels, and caramel treats, coarse sea salt contains more sodium than its less expensive grocery store alternative.

People enjoy the added crunch and marriage of savory and sweet in desserts, but people are inadvertently eating too much salt.

Because coarse salt has larger crystals, it may feel less salty per bite, leading some people to use more than they would with fine salt.

Excessive sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

The body only needs a small amount of sodium to function properly. Sodium is an essential electrolyte that plays several critical roles in the body, including maintaining fluid balance and blood pressure, supporting nerve function, and enabling muscle contractions.

Most Americans consume too much sodium, though – 3,300 mg per day on average, or about 40 percent more than the recommended 2,300mg limit.

People tend to believe that coarse sea salt contains less sodium than standard fine salt, yet both contain about 40 percent sodium.

Typically a garnish on cookies, bread and butter, soft pretzels, and caramel treats, coarse sea salt contains more sodium than its less expensive grocery store alternative

Salt lurks everywhere in the Western diet, not just in processed meats, snack foods, but in unsuspecting foods, including breads, canned soups, frozen meals, cheese, sauces, and marinades.

An estimated 89 percent of adults and around 94 percent of children consume too much sodium, according to the CDC.

Eating too much salt is a major setup for high blood pressure.

The World Health Organization also estimates that 1.9 million deaths globally each year can be attributed to eating too much salt.

As sodium causes the body to retain fluids, blood volume and pressure on artery walls increase. 

High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious health issues.

Dr Brent Egan, an internist and vice president of cardiovascular health at the American Medical Association, said: ‘It would take us about a little over 1,000 milligrams a day to get from where we are to where the recommendation would be for the upper limit.’

“And if we did that, we’d probably see a significant reduction in blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.’

Americans consume up to 45 percent more sodium per day than the recommended limit

The above graph shows the change in hypertension prevalence among all American adults, as well as among men and women from 1999 to 2023

Roughly 116 million Americans have high blood pressure. Approximately 805,000 heart attacks occur each year, as well as 795,000 strokes.

‘If someone has high blood pressure, heart disease, that type of thing, 1,500 milligrams is probably a better target, but for the general population that’s really interested in limiting the burden of chronic disease, 2,300 milligrams is generally what is recommended,’ Dr Egan said.

Too much sodium also causes bloating – the uncomfortable feeling that the stomach is swollen and tight. 

Body parts like hands, feet, and ankles are likely to swell. And feelings of thirst take over due to dehydration.

Too much salt before bed can also cause restless sleep. Studies suggest high-salt diets may alter cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which regulate sleep-wake cycles.

A recent study by researchers at Vanderbilt University found that reducing daily salt intake by just one teaspoon is as effective as blood pressure medication.

They tested high and low-salt diets on hundreds of patients, some of whom had high blood pressure, and found that cutting out a can of Heinz soup each day lowered people’s blood pressure by six percent within a week.

This reduction was comparable to that of thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, a popular blood pressure medication.

An estimated 89 percent of adults and around 94 percent of children consume too much sodium, according to the CDC

“Obviously we need some sodium—it’s essential for life,” Dr Egan said. But ‘here we are with an average intake of 3,400 milligrams.

‘Now the body has to make a lot of adjustments, but we can get by with very little sodium,’ he said, noting ‘there’s very little danger in this country that most people won’t get enough sodium, even if they’re eating those fresh foods and not processed foods.

‘They’ll still—for the most part—get more than sufficient sodium that the body needs,” said Dr. Egan. “We live in a state of pretty much constant excess.’