Is Salt Killing You?
How much salt do you eat every day? Most people are completely unaware that they are consuming dangerous amounts of this seemingly harmless seasoning every day. High salt consumption has been linked to high blood pressure and heart problems. When you eat a meal that is loaded with salt it immediately starts to have an effect on your blood pressure.
Before the days of refrigeration salt was one of the most common preservatives. Salt is still used as a preservative but with all the processed foods we eat it may be getting to the point where we consume dangerous levels of this mineral.
Your body needs some salt but few people are in danger of getting too little salt. Most people far exceed the daily-recommended amount of salt that should be consumed each day. It’s recommend that you get 1.4 grams of sodium each day and that you don’t exceed 2.4 grams. However, if you are an athlete you may need more sodium to replace the salt lost in sweat.
One of the main ways in which salt is used in the body is to help regulate water levels. Salt retains water and one of the symptoms of too much salt is swelling and decreased urine production. In an effort to maintain homeostasis (balance) within the body salt must be balanced with water, which is one reason that movie theaters serve salty popcorn—you end up spending more money trying to quench your thirst.
A big danger to consuming too much sodium is the fact that it increases blood volume levels. Imagine that you have a straw. It’s pretty easy to run water through the straw. But try taking a thicker liquid like syrup and running that through the straw, it makes it more difficult than just water.
The same thing happens with your blood. When it exerts excess pressure on your artery walls it causes them to become thickened and narrower which increases your blood pressure and makes it more difficult to circulate the blood throughout your body.
So where does salt come from? Preserved foods and processed foods are full of salt. The recommended amount is about the equivalent of 1 tsp. Each shake of the salt-shaker contains significantly less than that. Most of the salt that people consume comes from these processed foods as opposed to the salt you put on your food.
It doesn’t matter whether you eat in a cheap fast food joint or a high-class restaurant. Each of these restaurants is going to serve foods loaded with excess sodium. The saltiest food in America comes from P.F. Changs and has a whopping 10, 045 mg of sodium. In one plate. That’s completely ridiculous. It would be the equivalent to almost a week’s worth of salt and you can bet that you are not going to feel very good after getting that much sodium.
What can you do to reduce sodium intake?
There are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of sodium you consume each day. For one, measure out one teaspoon of salt. That’s about 2,300 mg, which is the most you should eat. Use salt from this measurement to sprinkle on your food and get an idea of how much you are actually consuming keeping in mind that you are getting salt from many different sources so you shouldn’t use anywhere near a teaspoon per day.
Another thing you can do is look for low sodium alternatives to your favorite foods. At a restaurant request that your food is prepared with less sodium. Also be sure to read labels carefully. Keep track of the amount of sodium you eat to see areas that you could improve upon.
It can also be helpful to reach for alternatives to sodium. Choose spices like basil and oregano or parsley and rosemary instead of sodium to flavor your food. One of the big things you can do is try the food before you automatically put salt on it. You may not notice that the food is already well seasoned if you don’t try it beforehand.
Salt is one of the hidden dangers in your diet. It can do quite a bit of harm to your body if you don’t consume salty foods in moderation. Be sure to drink plenty of water to help rid your body of excess salt if you happen to indulge in one of your favorite salty foods.
It’s always best to choose fresh produce as opposed to processed meals. If you look at frozen meals they usually contain around 30%-40% of your recommended daily value. If you’re eating a frozen meal three times a day you would quickly reach high levels of salt consumption.
Sometimes your schedule might be too busy to allow you to eat the low sodium foods you need. If that is the case try preparing foods ahead of time and if you still don’t have enough time make sure that you are able to read the labels and know to look for low sodium foods. Your heart will thank you!