Dear [$fname],
Did you know that salt is crucial for our health, but it has been found that we eat far more salt than we need and our salt consumption during the last
few decades is on the rise?
We need salt (sodium chloride) to maintain the right balance of the fluid in our blood cells. It is used to transmit information in our nerves and
muscles. It is also used in the uptake of certain nutrients from our small intestines. The body cannot make salt and so we are reliant on food to ensure that we
get the required intake. Too much sodium, however, has been linked to several health complications - high blood pressure and heart disease - the most common.
According to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, as well as the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, healthy adults
should not exceed 5.8 grams (2,300 milligrams) a day of sodium, but should target 3.7 grams as a healthy level.
Six grams of salt is a level teaspoonful. It's difficult to measure consumption because majority of the sodium - 77 percent on average - comes from eating
prepared or processed foods that contain the salt, not added while cooking or at the table.
Bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, baked beans and ready-made meals
can be high in salt, alongside more obviously salty-tasting foods such as potato chips, bacon, cheese and olives. So even when you think you are limiting the
amount of salt you are consuming, the food itself may already reach the total daily-recommended amount.
The next question that comes to mind is how can you tell how much you are getting in your diet. To some extent there are food labels, which can be
very confusing and sometimes not complete. As a guide, 0.5g or more of sodium per 100g is a high level, below 0.5g is moderate and 0.1g is low. To get the amount
of salt by weight, multiply the sodium content by 2.5.
Generally speaking, foods that do not have a label are not high in sodium. Fresh fruits and vegetables are extremely low in sodium as long as they are not processed,
as in dried fruits. Frozen vegetables are typically quite low in sodium, but the canned version can have more sodium, which has been added for flavor. Fresh meats and
most dairy products are not usually high in sodium, unless they come in a box and are pre-prepared. Baked goods can be deceiving, so be sure to check the label as there
is sodium in baking soda and baking powder.
The best way to keep your sodium intake from climbing too high is to limit fast foods, prepared foods, and otherwise processed foods. If you eat more fresh foods, opt for
low-sodium products, remove salt from recipes whenever possible and limit your use of sodium-laden condiments, you can reduce your daily intake substantially.
Our palates get accustomed to a certain level of salt, but they re-adjust after a few weeks of a lower-salt diet. By decreasing your use of salt gradually,
you will start to notice the taste of the food you are eating with less of a requirement for the saltshaker.
Best regards,
Belinda Barclay-White, MD
www.AZBreastnet.com
