Chicken broth can raise blood pressure, but how much depends entirely on the type you’re using. A single cup of regular commercial chicken broth contains around 860 mg of sodium, which is more than half the 1,500 mg daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association. That sodium load triggers your body to retain water, expanding blood volume and increasing pressure on artery walls.
The good news: not all chicken broth is created equal, and simple swaps can let you keep it in your diet without the blood pressure spike.
Why Sodium in Broth Affects Blood Pressure
When you consume a high-sodium food like regular chicken broth, your body holds onto extra water to dilute that sodium. This increases the total volume of fluid circulating through your blood vessels. More fluid means higher pressure against artery walls, which is the basic mechanism behind sodium-driven blood pressure elevation.
But the effect goes beyond simple fluid retention. High sodium intake also stiffens blood vessels, impairs the ability of arteries to relax and expand, and alters nervous system signals that regulate heart rate and vessel tone. Over time, these changes can remodel artery walls, making them less flexible and keeping blood pressure elevated even between meals. For someone already managing hypertension, a single cup of regular broth delivering 860 mg of sodium represents a significant portion of daily intake and can contribute to measurable blood pressure increases throughout the day.
Sodium Levels Across Broth Types
The sodium gap between different chicken broth products is enormous. Using Swanson’s widely available product line as a benchmark:
- Regular chicken broth: about 860 mg sodium per cup
- Low-sodium chicken broth: about 140 mg per cup
- Unsalted chicken broth: about 35 mg per cup
That means regular broth has roughly six times the sodium of low-sodium versions and more than 24 times the sodium of unsalted. For context, the AHA recommends staying under 1,500 mg of sodium for the entire day. Two cups of regular broth in a soup recipe would put you over that limit before you eat anything else.
Bouillon cubes and powdered broth concentrates tend to be even saltier. They’re essentially dehydrated broth, and salt is a primary ingredient that serves as both flavoring and preservative. If you’re using bouillon, it’s wise to skip any additional salt in the recipe entirely.
To carry a “low sodium” label under FDA regulations, a food must contain 140 mg or less of sodium per serving. Low-sodium canned chicken broth typically lands right at that threshold, with one product from the University of Rochester’s nutrition database listing 72 mg per cup.
Homemade Broth Gives You Control
Traditional culinary practice actually calls for making stock without any salt at all. The idea is that stock or broth should be a neutral base you can season later, especially since reducing it (simmering to concentrate flavor) would also concentrate the salt. Homemade chicken broth made from bones, vegetables, and herbs, with no added salt, can contain negligible sodium, comparable to the 35 mg per cup you’d find in an unsalted commercial product.
This makes homemade broth one of the best options if you’re watching your blood pressure. You get the savory depth of flavor without the sodium load. Fresh herbs like dill, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves add complexity. Garlic, onion, celery, and black pepper round out the taste. None of these ingredients have a meaningful effect on blood pressure.
MSG Adds Another Layer
Many commercial broths and especially bouillon products contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), which contributes that deep savory flavor known as umami. MSG does contain sodium in its chemical structure, but research suggests it may also affect blood pressure through separate pathways.
Animal studies have found that daily MSG consumption raised blood pressure in both normal and hypertensive subjects, with effects appearing across a range of doses. The mechanism appears to involve increased oxidative stress, which can impair blood vessel and kidney function. In hypertensive animals, MSG worsened the degree of high blood pressure they already had.
These findings come from animal research with doses that may not translate directly to human consumption from a cup of broth. Still, if you’re actively managing hypertension, it’s worth noting that MSG-containing products introduce both sodium and a compound that may independently stress the cardiovascular system.
Don’t Count on Minerals to Offset the Sodium
You may have heard that bone broth is rich in minerals like magnesium and calcium, which can support healthy blood pressure. The reality is less impressive. Research analyzing both homemade and commercial bone broths found that calcium and magnesium levels were no more than low tenths of a milligram per serving, representing less than 5% of daily recommended intake for either mineral. Even broths simmered for over eight hours with acidic ingredients (which boosts mineral extraction) didn’t yield nutritionally significant amounts.
In practical terms, you can’t rely on chicken broth as a meaningful source of blood-pressure-friendly minerals. The potassium and magnesium you need to help counterbalance sodium should come from whole foods like bananas, leafy greens, beans, and nuts.
Practical Ways to Keep Broth in Your Diet
If you enjoy chicken broth in soups, sauces, or cooking grains, you don’t need to give it up. The key is choosing or making a version that fits within your sodium budget.
- Switch to low-sodium or unsalted: Going from regular to unsalted broth saves you over 800 mg of sodium per cup. Even the low-sodium version cuts intake by roughly 84%.
- Make your own: Simmer chicken bones with onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and herbs for several hours. Add salt only at the end, in small measured amounts, or not at all.
- Build flavor without salt: Lemon juice, vinegar, fresh herbs, black pepper, and aromatics like ginger can make low-sodium broth taste full and satisfying.
- Read labels carefully: “Reduced sodium” only means 25% less than the original, which can still be quite high. Look for “low sodium” (140 mg or less per serving) or “unsalted” for the biggest impact.
A cup of unsalted chicken broth at 35 mg of sodium is essentially a non-issue for blood pressure. Regular broth at 860 mg is a significant contributor. The difference between the two is entirely within your control.