HealthyPIG Magazine
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High amounts of salt or sodium in the diet can raise blood pressure and put people at risk for heart disease. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines fo...
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Sodium is an essential mineral needed to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body, regulate blood pressure, and transmit nerve impulses.
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The diet that hides salt bombs
Americans love sodium chloride, also known as regular table salt, and they eat too much of it. Unfortunately for salty food lovers, a high-sodium diet can wreak havoc on your health. According to research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, excess sodium increases your blood volume, which increases your blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure increases the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
However, we do need sodium for important body functions, such as maintaining a good fluid balance, transmitting nerve impulses, and moving muscles. So how much sodium can you safely consume each day? The latest dietary guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend keeping sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams (mg), or 1 teaspoon (tsp), per day. You may benefit more from limiting to 1,500 milligrams, but if you're currently unable to do either of these, even cutting back by 1,000 milligrams can improve your blood pressure.
While most people already know it's best to avoid salty foods like movie theater popcorn and French fries, you also need to keep an eye out for less obvious sodium-rich foods. From canned vegetables to bread, here are some secret salt mines to watch out for.
However, we do need sodium for important body functions, such as maintaining a good fluid balance, transmitting nerve impulses, and moving muscles. So how much sodium can you safely consume each day? The latest dietary guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend keeping sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams (mg), or 1 teaspoon (tsp), per day. You may benefit more from limiting to 1,500 milligrams, but if you're currently unable to do either of these, even cutting back by 1,000 milligrams can improve your blood pressure.
While most people already know it's best to avoid salty foods like movie theater popcorn and French fries, you also need to keep an eye out for less obvious sodium-rich foods. From canned vegetables to bread, here are some secret salt mines to watch out for.
Sodium in the diet-use nutrition labeling and reduce intake
People need a small amount of sodium to work properly, but too much sodium may be harmful to your health. According to the American Dietary Guidelines, a high-sodium diet increases the risk of high blood pressure, which is the main cause of stroke and heart disease.
Most dietary sodium (over 70%) comes from edible packaging and prepared foods, not from salt added during cooking or eating. Many foods contain too much sodium, so the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cooperates with the food industry to reasonably reduce the sodium content in various foods. Even though sodium may already be contained in many packaged foods at the time of purchase, you can still use the nutrition label to reduce your daily sodium intake.
