hypertension?

 Taste buds may adapt and learn to like low-salt foods, according to a new study of people with high blood pressu.

A taste adaptation intervention can reduce salt intake and increase the enjoyment of a sodium-restricted diet in hypertensive patients, according to a small study presented at the 2022 ACNAP-EuroHeartCare Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Scientific Congress

"One of the main barriers to sticking to a low-salt diet is that people don't like the taste, but very little research has addressed that," said study author Professor Misuk Chung from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, U.

High blood pressure affects more than 1 billion people worldwide and is the leading cause of premature death worldwi.

The researchers developed the Sodium Watch Project - Hypertension (SWaP-HTN) to gradually adapt to the taste of low-salt foo.

The intervention group received 16 weeks of education and was followed up via a video call on a tablet with a study nur.

Prof Chung explained: "The first step is to make patients aware of how much salt they are eati.

At baseline and week 16, all participants provided 24-hour urine samples to assess sodium intake, and their blood pressure was measur.

The average age of the participants was 63 years, and 55% were ma.

Prof Chung said: "In the intervention group, sodium intake decreased by 1158 mg per day, a 30% reduction from baseline, while the control group increased by 500 mg per d.

"Our study shows that we can retrain our taste buds to enjoy low-sodium foods and gradually reduce our salt intake," she conclud.