Salt is essential to human life. Our bodies cannot function without salt:
- Salt assists in nerve transmission and muscle contraction.
- It is vital to maintaining electrolyte balance by controlling the passage of fluids in and out of the cells
- It helps move nutrients into cells and transport waste away from them
- Salt assists with regulating blood pressure
The recommended daily amount of sodium for a normally active person is 2400 mg or less.
1 teaspoon of table salt = 2300 mg of sodium.
Most Americans consume 3500 – 6000 mg of sodium a day. This higher consumption is not due to the intake of salt that occurs naturally in food, nor is it because of salt added during cooking or at the table. It is salt added by the food industry to processed foods.
Only athletes and other people who are very active physically need more than 2400 mg a day.
High sodium intake may precipitate high blood pressure in genetically predisposed salt-sensitive people. But it is very unhealthy to exclude salt entirely from your diet. The key is moderation.
High-sodium foods:
Processed foods, especially canned soups, beans, tomato sauce, vegetables, and other canned foods; soy sauce; table salt; pickled foods; olives; sauerkraut; processed meats such as salamis, sausages, bologna, hot dogs, hamburgers, ham, anchovies; caviar; canned tuna; sardines; herring; smoked salmon; bouillon; barbecue sauce; catchup; mustard. But, this is just a fraction of high sodium foods.
Strategies for cutting your sodium intake
- Drain cans of meats, vegetables, beans out offluids
- Wash canned beans, peas, vegetables in warm water
- Use salt-free spices, fruits such as lemon, lime and orange, and fresh or dried herbs
- Use moderate amounts of salt in cooking, or use none at all whenever possible
- Try low salt and salt-free products
- Choose fresh over processed foods whenever possible