Diets high in sodium increase blood pressure levels. One of the ways to lessen sodium in your diet is to use fresh, rather than packaged, meats. Fresh cuts of beef, chicken or pork contain natural sodium, but the content is still much less than the hidden extra sodium added during processing in products like bacon or ham. If a food item keeps well in the fridge for days or weeks, that’s a tip off that the sodium content is too high. Reading food labels is very important to determine the sodium percentage in the food.
Source: National Kidney Foundation.