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Hypertension Never take effervescent tablets for high blood pressure
Effervescent tablets often contain a lot of sodium, according to a recent study. In people who suffer from high blood pressure, high sodium intake can be dangerous. According to experts, these people should better use drugs in other forms.
The quantity is important
The question of how much salt is actually healthy, according to scientists, must be answered individually. High salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure, which also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, but salt is also a vital mineral for the body.
Effervescent tablets often have a very high sodium content. People with high blood pressure should take only little sodium and therefore better resort to tablets or liquid preparations. (Image: Patrick Daxenbichler / fotolia.com) High-pressure patients should refrain from salt consumption
But: "High-pressure patients can have a positive influence on their risk of cardiovascular disease if they restrain themselves from eating salt," the German Society for Endocrinology reported recently in a statement. Professor Helmut Schatz from the company's executive board explained: "The sodium contained in the common salt binds water and thus increases the blood volume. The pressure in the vessels becomes higher and with it the blood pressure, so a simplified explanation of a complex process ".
High sodium content in effervescent tablets
Even in effervescent tablets, the sodium content is often so high that it can be a health hazard for hypertensive patients. The magazine "Consumer" of the Austrian consumer protection association Verein für Konsumenteninformation (VKI) has now examined 20 medicines and six nutritional supplements and found that the maximum daily dosage was exceeded in six cases at maximum dosage, reports the news agency APA. Patients should therefore take capsules or tablets
Not more than 1.5 grams of sodium per day
The survey, conducted in February and March, used the upper limit of the American Heart Association (AHA) as a baseline for an adult human. This recommends a daily amount of a maximum of 1.5 grams of sodium. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls the maximum dose two grams per day.
According to the information, the sodium in effervescent tablets is derived from the added sodium carbonates, which cause the active ingredients to dissolve faster in the water.
Daily maximum amount clearly exceeded
According to the agency report, the exceedances of the recommended intake at the test all resulted from the fact that the maximum daily dose was used for adults. For example, in the case of the Alka Seltzer effervescent tablets, this was a total of nine pieces. For a single tablet would be already at 30 percent of the recommendation of 1.5 grams, at nine, the daily maximum would be exceeded by 2.7 times.
Even with two aspirin and Mexavit products as well as with Aspro Grippal there were overruns. The painkillers were generally high in value.
High blood pressure patients should resort to other preparations
According to the magazine "Konsument", about 70 to 75 percent of the salt used in Europe, the main supplier of sodium, is in processed food or other products of the food industry. "As a result, we tend to consume too much rather than too little table salt and therefore sodium," the magazine says. The sheet therefore recommends that hypertensive patients prefer capsules, tablets or liquid preparations to avoid further uptake of the alkali metal. (Ad)