Low Sodium Diet Tips
No Salt, Please: Is Sodium Really Bad for You?
Everybody loves to sprinkle a dash of salt on their meals. But, at the end of the day, when you're feeling a little bloated, you can blame salt as the culprit.
According to a recent report, experts found that Americans have too much salt in their diet, exceeding the daily recommended amount. And you may be surprised to find that what you think are healthy food products may be high in sodium. Did you know that a bowl of Cheerios has more sodium than a serving of Ruffles potato chips?
Also, reducing salt intake doesn't necessarily reduce the risk of high blood pressure or a family history or hypertension.
To lessen the grief of salt lovers, we've asked an expert to break down the basics about salt -- what to look for and what we should know.
Nutritionist David Grotto, RD, LDN, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, offered his expertise on how a little salt goes a long way.
Is salt bad for you?
Grotto: No. If used appropriately, salt is not bad for you. We're not required to eat [table] salt because we can find salt naturally occurring in a variety of different foods that we eat. But most cultures around the world use salt and not all of them have a hypertension epidemic.
What is salt?
Salt is basically sodium chloride -- two essential minerals required by the body that helps communication between cells and many of the required processes. It is very much responsible for fluid balance in our bodies. Salt is naturally occurring -- kosher or Epsom, it can come from the sea and from minerals.
How much salt is too much?
The dietary guidelines for Americans clearly show lower amounts of sodium in the diet. Currently, 2300 milligrams is the recommended amount. However, a typical American diet ranges from 3000 to 5000 milligrams of sodium. For our bodies to survive, we need about 500 milligrams. A teaspoon of salt is close to the 2400 milligrams.
The salt shaker at the dinner table is NOT the smoking gun. The stealth danger is under the radar in convenience and frozen packages and fast foods. Those prepackaged foods and meals have the highest sodium intake.
Read more about the basics of salt
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