Less Salt Equals More Years

There is a lot of recent buzz in the news about removing the salt from some of America’s favorite snacks and restaurant meals. The Institute of Medicine is urging the government to put legal limits on how much sodium can be put in foods, beverages, and meals for the sake of America’s health. While your taste buds may cringe at this idea, a national standard for sodium content may just save your heart. Read on to find out why less salt equals more years!

Less Salt Equals More Years

The more than conclusive research is in! Americans are consuming unhealthy amounts of sodium in their food. There is overwhelming evidence that dietary salt is the major cause of elevated blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease. Analysts say that broad-reaching reductions in sodium intake could potentially prevent more than 100,000 deaths a year. Some more food for thought: Recent studies show that a high salt intake is related to osteoporosis, is linked to the severity of asthma, and is probably a major cause of stomach cancer.

In response to the Institute of Medicine’s recent findings, some food companies have already pledged to modify their products to include less sodium. Their goal is to reduce the sodium content of the food supply in gradual increments, so that consumers don’t notice the change as their taste sensors adjust to less salt.

How much is too much? The average American consumes about one and a half teaspoons of sodium (about 3,400 milligrams) a day, far exceeding the national dietary recommendation of no more than 2,300 milligrams, or one teaspoon a day.

Many people are under the impression that sodium reduction is only necessary for people who have hypertension or high-risk groups for developing hypertension (such as African Americans and older adults.) The truth is, no one is immune from the detrimental health effects of excessive sodium intake. Consider this: More than half of Americans have either high blood pressure or pre-hypertension.

While the government begins to cut the salt in consumer goods, here are a few unusual tips to help you lay off the salt on your own:

1. Swap the everyday salt for other tasty seasonings with less or without the sodium. One way to cut the sodium without sacrificing taste is to swap the salt for delicious seasonings. Spice up your dish and get some powerful health benefits at the same time by using vinegar, garlic, onions, scallions, leeks, ginger, peppers, dill, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, coriander, fennel, anise, and cardamom.

Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on a dish to brighten the flavor. For example, you can roast your vegetables by tossing them with olive oil and some lemon juice.

You’ll be less likely to notice a difference in taste if you cut back on salt gradually, over a few weeks. Within a few weeks of cutting back on salt, your taste palette will become more refined; over time, you will come to enjoy the delicious subtleties of these herbs and spices — and you won’t even miss the salt!

2. Look out for hidden salt. You may think the salt shaker is to blame, but actually, the majority of the salt we consume comes from packaged, processed foods and from restaurant meals (including fast food).

Some packaged foods that tend towards high levels of sodium include processed snack foods, canned beans, canned soups, breads and cereals, and frozen entrees. Also, preserved foods like pickles and olives are usually very high in sodium. Choose products that say they’re sodium free, very low in sodium, light in sodium, or unsalted.

Your best bet is to become a label reader and look at the sodium content of foods. You may be surprised by what you find — one cup of soup could have your daily allowance of salt for the whole day!

3. Eat out less often. Since restaurant meals and fast food are one of the major contributors to excessive sodium consumption, eat out less. Don’t be afraid to request nutritional information about menu items to see the sodium levels; most fast food restaurants are required to provide this information. At restaurants, ask your server which foods the restaurant prepares without adding salt, and order those items.

Better yet, fall in love with cooking your own meals and purchase more wholesome foods, like fresh meats and vegetables and unprocessed grains. Then you know exactly how much salt you are using. When you cook fresh food from scratch, you will inevitably cut back on your consumption of processed foods — one of the best things you can do for your long-term health, waistline, and overall appearance.

4. What about sea salt? The common table salt that we use to enhance flavors has been refined to nothing but sodium chloride and is devoid of all other essential minerals. Sea salt, on the other hand, contains close to sixty trace minerals that are essential for the formation of vitamins, enzymes, and proteins that keep our bodies going. However, although sea salt offers some nutritional benefits, it is still sodium, so use in moderation! If you have hypertension or are at-risk, it is best to skip the sea salt altogether.

If you do decide to add salt responsibly to your meals, I suggest using only unrefined sea salt such as that found in the salt beds of Brittany, which has a slightly gray hue. You can find this in specialty food stores, some health food stores, and online.

And keep in mind that it is important to balance salt intake with potassium to ensure proper nerve and muscle function; potassium-rich foods include leafy vegetables, soy, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, and most fruits.

Healthy kidneys regulate and maintain just the right amount of sodium, potassium and other essential minerals in the body by excreting the excesses and retaining what the body may be deficient in. It is therefore critical to support healthy kidney function. Chinese medicine has long regarded the kidney organ network as fundamental to health and wellness.

The Team at i-Supplements.com

We hope you have found ways to cut the salt! Check out www.i-Supplements.com for all of your health and wellness needs.