The Facts About Salt

Sodium which is a component of salt is not bad in itself. We do need a certain amount for nerve and muscle functioning but too much of it is bad for your heart. Salt makes you retain water and that can raise your blood pressure driving up your risk of heart disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association recommends that all Americans aim to consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Some experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, think you can safely eat a maximum of 2,300 mg (the amount in 1 tsp salt) if you're healthy and under age 51. If you're older, are African-American or have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, everyone of those sources agrees that your daily cap should be 1,500 mg. But the truth is, most people exceed both of those numbers (the average person eats 3,400 mg per day), so reducing your intake is a really smart move.

I was never one that watched how much salt I ate. I liked things salty, especially my popcorn! My dad had some health problems and had to drastically cut his sodium intake. I started paying attention to how much sodium was in things in an effort to help my mom find things that he could eat. It was shocking to see how much sodium is in things, especially processed foods.  But even things like cottage cheese had a lot. It is hard to cut your sodium intake but using lots of fresh produce and taking the time to prepare healthy meals at home helps. We have also learned that there are a good number of sodium free seasonings out there and you can use lots of garlic, onions, and vinegars to add a lot of good flavor without all the sodium.

Keep an eye on how much salt you sprinkle on your food, that is the best place to start. But 77% of sodium comes from packaged foods and the number one source of sodium in our food is bread. It doesn't have a lot, just 150mg per slice, but we American eat so much of it that it really adds up. Other big offenders are canned soups, frozen meals and deli meats.

See you aren't able to always see or taste the sodium in foods, you need to check the labels. Aim for 500mg or less per serving and check different brands to look for low or no-sodium varieties of vegetables, beans and cottage cheese. And buying fresh definitely helps. The less an item is processed, the less sodium it has.

Source: Woman's Day