Substituting Lemon Juice for Salt can Reduce High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer" for good reason, as many sufferers are not even aware that they have the disease. Left untreated, this disease can lead to water retention in the body, stroke and many other complications. One of the first things a doctor will advice a patient to do is to reduce their salt intake. This can be hard to hear if you are accustomed to adding salt during and after the cooking process. But what can be used to replace salt without having to eat bland food for the rest of your life?

The use of lemons is widespread in the southern and eastern Mediterranean due to the abundance of lemon groves dotted throughout Greece, Cyprus and other nearby countries. Lemons are therefore more than just decoration a glass of water. They are an integral ingredient in cooking, much more so than in a lot of other parts of the world. A lot can be learned about this practice if you or a person you know has been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

If your only experience with lemons is homemade lemonade as a child, then you may not be too keen on the idea of substituting lemon juice for salt. Lemon juice is an accustomed taste, so it will take time to get used to it.

Look at your own lifestyle and try to identify when and how you use salt. Do you always add it to food as it is cooking, or do you add salt to your cooked meal as you are about to sit down to eat? If you are in the habit of adding salt to food as it cooks, refrain from doing so until the food is cooked. Taste it to see what it needs and then add a small amount of lemon juice.

Lemon juice tastes very good over the top of chicken, salads, casseroles and in many other recipes that are usually started or finished off with salt. The tart flavour of lemon juice can help to replace the craving you may have for salt. It is an ideal replacement for salt and ensures that food is not bland. Best of all, lemon juice does not raise your blood pressure.