A salty subject: where sodium is hiding in your diet
Do you know how much salt is in your food? Marissa Trout, a dietician with Community Health Network, tests our sodium knowledge and offers tips for cutting back.
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The American Heart Association recommends 1500 mg of sodium per day that is the equivalent to 3/4 of a teaspoon. That’s the recommendation of all ages.”
Most Americans are consuming 3400-3700 mg which is more than double the recommendation. The Salt Shaker is NOT the problem. 75% of our sodium intake is coming from processed foods, convenience foods and dining out.
Sodium is an essential mineral that helps control our body’s fluid balance. When we get too much, it pulls water into our blood vessels and increases the volume of blood. The added pressure on the can injure the blood vessel walls and make the heart work harder.
High Blood Pressure is also known as the ‘silent killer” because its symptoms are not always obvious: Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, eating less sodium can help slow the rise in blood pressure that occurs with age, and reduce your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and even headaches.
Find out more at: http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/sodium-and-your-health/#sthash.py8orM1w.dpuf