The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a Nordic diet rich in plant-based foods and fish on indicators of cardiovascular disease risk at two different levels of salt intake.

The study is a 20-wk randomized controlled crossover trial. The subjects follow a salt-restricted diet during the study. The study begins with a 4-wk run-in phase for all subjects. After that the subjects are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Group 1 consumes a healthy Nordic low-salt diet enriched with plant-based foods and fish for 16 weeks. Group 2 consumes a low-salt diet for 16 weeks. During the 16 weeks, both groups receive salt and placebo capsules in a double-blind, crossover fashion (8+8 weeks).

Inclusion Criteria:

• prehypertension or hypertension (systolic blood pressure 130-159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 85-99 mmHg)

Exclusion Criteria:

• smoking
• regular use of medications
• intestinal disorders
• symptomatic cardiovascular disease
• obesity (BMI>35 kg/m2)
• vegetarianism
• high intake of alcohol
• allergy to fish
• pregnancy