Take the 2-minute tour ×  Due to high blood pressure, my doctor
has recommended I go on a low-sodium diet. So, that got me
wondering what it is about sodium that drives this
recommendation?  What does sodium do to a body that, by its
presence or absence, affects blood pressure in humans?
share|improve this question Don't have the time to write a
proper answer, but maybe you want to check out this review (and
if someone wants to write an answer starting from it he/she is
very welcome to do it!). Dietary Sodium and Blood Pressure – 
nico Nov 1 '12 at 21:55 add comment  2 Answers  The basic reason
is osmosis, the tendency of solutes to move from an area of high
concentration to one of low concentration across a permeable
barrier. So, ingesting large amounts of salt results in a high
sodium concentration in the blood stream. This in turn causes
water to enter the blood vessels by osmosis. More water in the
blood means a greater volume of liquid and, therefore, higher
blood pressure.  This process occurs primaril