'Intake of too much salt increases your blood pressure.' Is this true or just a myth? I tried to find out the fact. And going through various health-related journals & vigorously researching through the net, I came to the following conclusion.
The average American, as you can probably expect, is something of a salt connoisseur. On average, we consume 3400 milligrams of salt daily, a figure that far surpasses the 2300 milligram limit advised in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This poses a severe issue for many people. While sodium certainly has its benefits – the element balances fluids, controls muscle contraction, and regulates pH levels – it can lead to harmful consequences if consumed in excess over a long time. These consequences are well-publicized, such as heart issues, high blood pressure, and kidney disease.
Others, however, are not; salt consumption can increase the chances of Meniere's disease and tinnitus, conditions both of which can lead to hearing loss.
Although a hearing loss cord blood clinical trial recently found that these issues can be countered through stem cell treatment, the fact remains that sodium is harmful to the average American at its current consumption level. But reducing our salt intake is easier said than done. After all, most of our foods contain salt, and most of us are conditioned to desire the taste. So how can we reduce lower and effectively minimize our sodium intake? Here are a few tips:
- Take salt off the table. It's one thing if we put salt in our meals from the onset, but many of us go the extra step and shake some sodium on our food while sitting at the kitchen table. The easy fix for this problem? Please get rid of your salt shaker, or at least remove it from your dining area.
- Cook more, eat out less. Processed foods and restaurant-cooked meals are, on average, far more salt intensive than a similar product cooked at home. As such, the extra time it takes you to cook in the kitchen could translate into substantial and immediate sodium reductions in your diet.
- Substitute spices. We use salt to ensure that our food does ddoesn'ttaste bland, but other products can accomplish the same ends without the same consequences. Garlic, onion powder, thyme, oregano, and pepper are always great options in this regard.
- Look for instructions on the labels. At the same time, you are shopping for your packaged food, ddon'tforget to check the label for sodium contents. Even breakfast cereal, flour tortillas, etc., may contain high sodium. Look for low salt products.
- Transition slowly. Sodium is not an addictive substance, but it reflects an acquired taste that we desire more when our bodies are accustomed to higher consumption rates. This means that a gradual reduction of your salt intake can conceivably accomplish the ultimate goal – make you less desirous of salt in the first place. Such a move could stand to improve your eating habits for the long term.
Hopefully, following these tips can help you reduce your sodium intake and bring your salt consumption in line with the dietary guidelines. Although sodium has its benefits, you can probably get those benefits without any added salt in your diet. As such, any reduction is an advantageous one – both for your health and for the substance of your diet.
Source links:
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/6-easy-steps-to-reduce-sodium-in-your-diet
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-to-reduce-sodium
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/take-action-on-salt/
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