"People criticize the concept of reducing sodium because not
everyone's blood pressure goes up," says Flack. "While everyone
may not need to restrict sodium intake in the short term, buried
within that group of people is a subset of people who are really
salt-sensitive." The exact cause of high blood pressure is not
completely understood, says Flack. It has been well documented
that when exposed to usual and customary levels of dietary salt
intake, blood pressure rises in some people considered to be
salt-sensitive. "High blood pressure damages the kidneys, brain,
heart, and other vital organs," says Flack. "The rise in blood
pressure causes the kidneys to leak protein and also contributes
to an abnormal increase in heart size." Flack says that salt-
sensitivity has been documented in all racial and ethnic groups,
and even in people with normal blood pressure levels, but he
adds that heredity is an important influence on whether an
individual is salt-sensitive or not. "This study is consistent
with findings in