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Health experts warn eating too much of this specific fish 'could raise blood pressure risk'

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Health experts warn eating too much of this specific fish 'could raise blood pressure risk'

There are two types of fish that could increase the risk of high blood pressure

Experts have warned that eating too much of a certain type of fish could have an impact on our health.

Fish is considered to be a great source of vitamins and minerals, while oily fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can keep your heart healthy.

In fact, it's recommended that as part of a balanced diet, we should be eating two portions of fish a week.

However, according to experts at UK chemist, the Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, certain fish could be increasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Smoked fish can contain lots of salt (Getty Stock Image)
Smoked fish can contain lots of salt (Getty Stock Image)

Abbas Kanani explained that dried and smoked fish could affect blood pressure due to their high sodium content, regardless of their nutritious properties.

"People with high blood pressure should limit the amount they eat because of the high sodium content. Eating too much salt can lead to increased blood pressure," said the pharmacist.

"The body holds onto water when we eat salt. When we overeat, the additional water in your blood causes extra strain on the walls of blood vessels, raising blood pressure."

According to Blood Pressure UK, salt can make your body hold on to water, which means the extra water in your blood could raise your blood pressure by increasing the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels.

The site explains: "Cutting down on salt is one of the simplest ways to lower your blood pressure, and will start to make a difference very quickly, even within weeks.

"Eating too much salt can lead to all the health problems high blood pressure causes, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and some types of dementia."

Dried and smoked fish can have a high sodium content (Getty Stock Image)
Dried and smoked fish can have a high sodium content (Getty Stock Image)

The association explains that adults should be eating no more than six grams of salt every day, with salt often hidden in processed foods such as bread, biscuits and even cereals.

"This hidden salt accounts for around three-quarters (75 percent) of the salt we eat, only a small amount comes from the salt we add while cooking or at the table," Blood Pressure UK states.

There are a number of foods that can be particularly high in salt, these include: tomato ketchup; stock cubes; gravy granules; soy sauce; dried fish; mustard; pickles; ready-made sandwiches; microwave meals and sausages, bacon and ham.

High salt intake can lead to increased blood pressure (Getty Stock Image)
High salt intake can lead to increased blood pressure (Getty Stock Image)

Blood Pressure UK explains it's important to understand food labels - which can often be confusing - when choosing low salt options.

"Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the foods we buy, and similar products can vary dramatically in how much salt they contain," it says.

"For example, two loaves of bread made by different companies may appear to be basically the same, but when you check the labels one contains 1g of salt per slice while the other contains half that."

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image

Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Animals