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How Much Salt is Too Much?
Currently, the average American consumes between nine to fifteen grams of salt
daily, and this is the major contributing factor to high blood pressure, WHO
explains. If we could only reduce our salt consumption by even six grams, it
would reduce deaths from strokes by nearly 25 percent. This level of reduction
would also reduce heart disease by nearly 20 percent. This reduction would
translate into nearly 2.5 million lives being saved every year worldwide.
Heart disease, though, isn't only the disease which worsens in the presence
of salt. Excessive salt intake is also associated with an increased risk of
osteoporosis, asthma, obesity and cancer of the stomach.
So, how much salt should we be getting? The National Institute of Health
recommends that healthy people consume no more than 2,400 grams daily, and if
you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, the NIH suggests
that you should ingest no more than 1,500.
But, considering that so much of our salt
intake is "beyond our control" – hidden in processed foods – how do you insure
that you can adhere to these guidelines.
It's time to take control of your eating habits, which is going to be easier said
than done. But, with a little perseverance at the grocery store, you can reign
in the salt intake. A good place to start is reading nutritional labels. The
sodium content of every food is clearly marked. Boy, are you in for a big
surprise!
Actually, if you've never paid much attention to salt and sodium before you
might even be appalled. The average frozen dinner for example, contains more
than 1,000 mg – or one gram – of sodium. Some of the dinners contain as much
as 1,500 mg – or 1.5 grams. That's the recommendation of salt intake for an
entire day, if you suffer from high blood pressure.
You might be surprised to find that hidden in that submarine sandwich you had
for lunch was a minimum of 800 mg to possible 1,800 mg of salt! Hot dogs fare
little better. Depending on what you put on your dog, you can eat a lot of
salt. A plain hot dog averages more than 600 mg of sodium. If you eat it as a
corn dog with that corn meal coating it rises to nearly 1,000 mg.
Even if you go to your favorite pizza shop, you'll discover that your slice of
pizza is laden with salt as well. Depending on the brand and the toppings, if
you eat only one slice, you're getting between 500 and 800 mg of salt, and who
eats only one slice?
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