Beware of Hidden Salt

You may
never lift a salt shaker and avoid of french fries and potato chips, but you
are likely taking in much more salt than you realize, according to an
investigation from Consumer Reports.
When 37
processed foods were analyzed by researchers, they found some surprising
sources of hidden sodium.
Among their
findings:
·
Low-fat
cottage cheese: A half-cup serving had
twice the sodium (360 milligrams) as did a 1-ounce serving of regular potato
chips (180 milligrams).
·
McDonald's
Caesar salad with grilled chicken: This had more than double the salt (890
milligrams) as a large size order of McDonald's french fries (350 milligrams). Those
numbers are without the dressing.
·
Prego's
Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce: Only a half-cup serving delivered 430
milligrams of sodium, a little less than what the USDA allows per serving in
foods that are labeled as "healthy."
Breakfast
foods were another unexpected source of hidden salt. A whole-grain bagel contained
440 milligrams of sodium, a popular pancake mix packed 200 milligrams per
pancake, and good old-fashioned raisin bran cereals had between 230 milligrams
and 350 milligrams per serving. A maple and brown sugar-flavored instant
oatmeal had more than triple the sodium as the original flavor.
You may not
view bread as a salty food, but certain kinds may contain rather high quantities
of sodium. For example, a six-and-a-half-inch pita contains more than 300
milligrams of salt.
The US Government
has set 2,300 milligrams of sodium as the guidelines for maximum daily intake.
In amounts above that, health problems can arise. The Institute Of Medicine
declared that we need only 1,500 mg a day, less than that for those over 50. However,
the average consumption in the U.S. exceeds 3,400 milligrams.
Salt is an essential
electrolyte in your body. Your blood actually consists of 0.9% salt, which
helps maintain the balance of sodium throughout your body. Pretty much every
system in your body needs salt to make it function properly. It is particularly
vital to your nervous system, but every structure in the body relies on it.
It’s the
sodium ions in salt that your body needs to perform an array of essential
functions. Salt helps to maintain the fluid in our blood cells and transmits
information through our nerves and muscles. It is also needed to absorb certain
nutrients in our small intestines. Your body cannot produce salt and therefore
we are dependent on the food we eat to ensure that we take in the salt we need.
Salt is in
your blood, sweat and tears. In the body water follows every molecule of salt. If
you take in excessive amounts of salt, you will retain large amounts of water.
For people with heart problems, kidney problems or high blood pressure, that
can create serious issues.
The New England
Journal of Medicine estimates that 150,000 lives could be saved each year if we
lighten up on our salt intake.
One way
that people have been trying to eat healthy is to choose salads when they go
out for a quick meal. If you are trying to keep your heart healthy, it can be
frustrating to discover that your supposedly healthy salad option comes loaded
with salt.
According
to a survey by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health, one in every ten salads
has more salt than a McDonald's Big Mac.
Some of the
salads in this survey contain over half of the recommended daily amount of salt
for an adult in just one order of salad. Over a period of time, eating a diet
that is heavy on the salt can increase your risk of raised blood pressure,
which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
The main problem:
Salt makes food taste better. It's really difficult to alter a recipe by removing
salt and still retain a pleasing taste. When restaurants and food manufacturers
have launched low-sodium products, they haven't sold as well as their salted
counterparts.