As we all know, following a well-balanced diet is easier said than done.  Whether it is a lack of education, a lack of willpower, or a combination of both – it can be a daunting task to keep your eating habits in check each and every day!  If you are in the majority of the population, you have high blood pressure (hypertension) or you are pre-hypertensive.  Currently, 63% of Americans fall into one of these two categories.  Unfortunately, many people underestimate the devastating health affects of hypertension.  Over time, and especially if left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other serious health problems that we will explore in a minute.  The bottom line is this…if you are hypertensive or pre-hypertensive and have not taken time to refine your diet, you might be rubbing salt in your own wounds…literally.  This blog will specifically discuss the health benefits of reducing one single chemical compound in your diet:  SALT.

Salt as we know it (table salt), is actually a chemical compound comprised of both sodium and chlorine (NaCl).  Table salt contains approximately 40% sodium.  Health care professionals tend to concentrate on the negative health affects of too much sodium in a person’s diet.  A very modest amount of sodium is necessary for the body to function properly…meaning either too much or too little sodium in your diet can cause health problems.  Sodium is one of the primary electrolytes in your body.  It contributes to body function by helping to regulate water content (fluid balance) and helps with the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.  Too little sodium in your diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, and electrolyte disturbances which can lead to life threatening neurological problems.  However, most Americans get more than their fair share of sodium and do not have to worry about these complications.

How do we get more than our fair share of sodium?  The answer is quite easy…77% of our salt intake comes from processed or prepared foods!  Only 12% of our salt intake comes from natural sources and believe it or not, only 11% of our salt intake is a result of our own “wrong-doing” by adding extra salt while eating or preparing food ourselves!  Most people that try to limit their salt intake simply think that taking the salt shaker off the dinner table will do the trick…but as you can see, that won’t cut it!  Prepared and processed foods are very high in sodium because salt acts as a preservative to improve the so-called shelf-life of processed and prepared foods…and let’s not kid ourselves, sodium is what makes it taste so good and contributes to our addictions to these types of foods.  This is just one more reason to keep processed foods out of your diet!  Another major source of sodium is fast food.  Check out the sodium content of some of these common fast food items:

McDonalds

Cheeseburger:  750 mg

Quarter Pounder w/Cheese:  1190 mg

Premium Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich:  1410 mg

Large French Fries:  350 mg

Taco Cabana

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Burrito:  1130 mg

Chicken Soft Taco:  720 mg

Beef Burrito Ultimo:  2360 mg

Burger King

Whopper JR Value Meal:  1070 mg

Grilled Chicken Sandwich Value Meal:  1640 mg

As I mentioned above, over 60% of our population is either pre-hypertensive or suffers from full-blown hypertension.  Sodium is a major culprit (but certainly not the only) behind these conditions.  Therefore, reducing sodium content can help reduce high blood pressure and even help resolve it altogether!  A high salt intake can also contribute to the following conditions:  left ventricular hypertrophy (cardiac enlargement), edema (fluid retention/swelling), ulcers, heartburn, and even gastric cancer.  If you ask me, none of those conditions sound highly desirable!

Interestingly enough, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have any published recommendations as far as sodium intake.  Rather, they “suggest” that healthy individuals get less than 2300 mg of sodium per day – equating to 5.8 grams of table salt (remember table salt is only 40% sodium).  Health experts suggest that individuals suffering from hypertension or pre-hypertension should consume no more than 1500 mg of sodium, which equates to 3.8 grams of table salt.  And for individuals suffering from additional health problems (congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, kidney disease, etc), they should reduce their sodium intake even more.

While all of these numbers can be confusing and intimidating to interpret by reading food labels, food manufacturers add to the complexity by labeling their foods as “low-sodium” or “reduced sodium”.  What’s the difference?  Here is a guide to help you decipher this ambiguity:

“Sodium-Free”:  product must have less than 5 mg of sodium per serving

“Very Low-Sodium”:  product must have 35 mg or less of sodium per serving

“Low Sodium”:  product must have 140 mg or less of sodium per serving

“Reduced Sodium”:  usual sodium levels are reduced by 25%

“Unsalted, no salt added or without added salt”:  product is made without the salt that is normally used, but still contains the sodium that is a natural part of the food itself

Now that this topic of sodium reduction is clear as mud…or maybe salt water, here is a general guideline to help you make healthy choices in regards to sodium intake.  Avoid foods with more than 200 mg of sodium per serving. Pay close attention to food labels and nutritional guides and this rule of thumb will be easy to stick to.  Quit rubbing salt in your own health wounds and take control of your health today!