Salt, High Blood Pressure and Insulin Resistance—What You Should Know
Women are often told to cut back on salt when their blood pressure goes up. It sounds logical. It feels easy to understand. But the real story is more complex. Salt is not always the reason your numbers climb.
Extremely high sodium intake can raise blood pressure a little, but research shows bigger factors at play. Stress hormones and mineral imbalances affect your pressure far more than a normal amount of salt. When cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated, your body holds on to sodium and water. Many women live in this state without realizing it because daily stress, poor sleep, and constant rushing keep those hormones high. If your magnesium or potassium levels drop, your blood pressure can rise, even when your salt intake is completely normal.
There is another layer that gets overlooked. Insulin resistance. Many women live with it and do not know. Insulin resistance happens when your cells stop responding well to insulin. This often comes from years of eating too many refined carbohydrates or sugar, frequent snacking, chronic stress, and poor sleep. Your pancreas responds by producing more insulin to keep your blood sugar stable. Over time, those high insulin levels affect your blood pressure. High insulin tells your kidneys to hold on to sodium and water. The extra fluid increases pressure inside your blood vessels. This is why many women see their numbers climb even when they reduce salt. The pressure issue follows your insulin pattern, not your salt shaker.
If you have been told to cut salt, ask yourself a simple question. Has anyone talked to you about insulin resistance? Most women have never had this explained to them. Yet it is one of the most common metabolic problems today.
Before you rush to get a prescription, give yourself space to think about the bigger picture.
Are you eating a diet high in sugar or refined carbs?
Do you snack often?
Is your sleep poor or inconsistent?
Are you under chronic stress?
Do you get enough magnesium or potassium from real foods?
Has anyone ever checked your fasting insulin?
Does your doctor look at your lifestyle before writing a prescription?
If you want clear information, Dr. Eric Westman offers science based explanations that are easy to understand. He has spent decades helping patients improve blood pressure by lowering insulin through a low-carb diet. Here is a helpful video where he explains how insulin resistance affects metabolic health:
Simple lifestyle changes often make a difference.
• Reduce sugar and lower total carbs.
• Eat real food. Choose single ingredient foods that give your body what it needs. Eggs. Beef. Chicken. Fish. Leafy greens. Avocados. Berries in small amounts. Olive oil. Butter. Tallow. Nuts and seeds if you tolerate them. These foods supply protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals without the additives, sugar, or fillers that push your insulin higher.
• Increase protein.
• Add magnesium rich foods like leafy greens, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
• Include potassium rich foods from natural, low sugar sources. Choose options like avocados, salmon, turkey, eggs, and beef. These give you steady minerals without the blood sugar spike that comes from high sugar fruits or processed foods.
• Support better sleep.
• Find small ways to lower stress each day. Here are the top simple actions most people can do every day with almost no effort.
Sit in silence for one minute and breathe slowly.
Put down the phone when you feel tense and take a short break from screens.
Take a five-minute walk outside, even if it is slow.
Drink water before coffee to calm your system.
Stretch your shoulders, neck, and back for thirty seconds.
Go to bed fifteen minutes earlier to lower cortisol.
Eat one meal without distraction or multitasking.
If you use salt, choose a clean option sourced from natural deposits. I buy Vera Salt for my home. It is third party tested, simple, and packaged without plastic. Other sea salts exist, and you can choose what works for you. I share this because quality matters to me, not because salt is a cure for blood pressure. It is simply a clean, safe choice for everyday cooking.
If your blood pressure concerns you, speak with someone who understands metabolic health. Look for a practitioner who looks at food, stress, sleep, hormones, and insulin resistance before jumping to medication.
Your body responds to your daily choices. Salt is one piece of the puzzle. For many women, the deeper issue is insulin resistance combined with mineral imbalances and chronic stress. When you address those factors, your body can finally work the way it should.
Disclaimer: The content shared here is for informational and educational purposes only and should never be taken as medical advice.
In writing this blog post, my goal is to distill research findings into a clear, approachable format that encourages critical thinking and empowers you to make informed decisions about your health.
