Consuming three or more drinks per day is associated with an increased incidence of hypertension. Experts suspect alcohol contributes to elevated blood pressure by either increasing heart rate, stroke volume or vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels.
Breads and rolls are the top sources of sodium in the American diet but not necessarily for the reason you might think. One slice of white bread can have between 80 and 230 milligrams of sodium.
Canned soups, chilis and pasta are notoriously high in sodium, with upwards of 900 milligrams in a single cup. That’s equivalent to 40% of the recommended daily limit of sodium.
Certain cheeses, like cottage cheese, are inherently high in sodium. Others are processed just as much as lunch meats, which increases their sodium content. Regardless, all cheese is a major source of dietary fat, which can quickly lead to weight gain.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a single slice of pre-packaged deli ham provides about 123 milligrams of sodium. Multiply that by four, five or six to get a more realistic estimate of a typical sandwich.
With caffeine, sodium and added sugar, regular soda is a triple threat to your blood pressure. Soda is also often made with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
One serving of a standard ranch dressing provides nearly a quarter of the Daily Value of fat and 13% of sodium. For reference, one serving is 2 tablespoons.