Salt intake in your diet.

 

How much salt is safe to include in your diet?

The human body needs a little amount of salt (sodium) to function and too much salt intake can be harmful to our body. High intake of salt consumption is associated with High blood pressure (HTN) which is risk factor of stroke and cardiovascular (Heart) diseases.

About 70% of salt intake comes in our diet through processed and package food items. The salt we use in our home cooking and eating is safe and necessary for body metabolism. Now a days people are busy, find easy to buy readymade foods from market. The home cooking is time consuming but cost effective and healthy way of preparing food. to cook at home. The US. Food and Drug Administration has taken action for food industry to make reduction in salt in different food items. It is important to check sodium level while buying different food item from market, especially packaged foods.

What should we notice in food nutrition label on food items?

The nutrition facts label shows:

• The daily amount of sodium (salt) is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day.
• The daily amount for each nutrient in a serving is the quantity of a nutrient necessary in daily diet. 

About 5% daily value or less of sodium per serving is considered low, and 20% daily value of sodium per serving is considered high.

• Always pay attention to servings in a day. The nutrition information listed on the nutrition facts label is for one serving of the food. Check the serving size and the number of servings you eat or drink to determine how much sodium you are consuming.

Food Choices are important.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 40% of the sodium consumed is from the following food items:

• Deli meat sandwiches
• Pizza
• Burritos and tacos
• Soups
• Savory Snacks (e.g., chips, crackers, popcorn)
• Poultry
• Pasta mixed dishes
• Burgers
• Egg dishes and omelets

Remember sodium amount can vary significantly between similar types of foods. Read the nutrition facts label of products, and check for serving size in order to make an accurate comparison.

Difference between table salt and sodium:

These two terms are used interchangeably. The table salt is a crystal-like compound found in nature in abundance while sodium is a mineral, a chemical element found in salt.

Sodium as a Food Ingredient

As a food ingredient, sodium has multiple uses, such as for curing meat, baking, thickening, retaining moisture, enhancing flavor (including the flavor of other ingredients), and as a preservative. Some common food additives—like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium nitrite, and sodium benzoate—also contain sodium and contribute (in lesser amounts) to the total amount of “sodium” listed on the Nutrition Facts label.

Some foods don’t taste salty can be high in sodium, taste alone is not an accurate way to judge a food’s sodium content. For example, while some foods that are high in sodium (like pickles and soy sauce) taste salty, there are also many foods (like cereals and pastries) that contain sodium but don’t taste salty. Also, some foods that you may eat several times a day (such as breads) can add up to a lot of sodium over the course of a day, even though an individual serving may not be high in sodium.

What should be parameters of checking:

·         Salt/Sodium-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving

·         Very Low Sodium: 35 mg of sodium or less per serving

·         Low Sodium: 140 mg of sodium or less per serving

·         Reduced Sodium: At least 25% less sodium than the regular product

·         Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted: At least 50% less sodium than the regular product

·         No-Salt-Added or Unsalted: No salt is added during processing – but these products may not be salt/sodium-free unless stated

Sodium and Blood Pressure

Sodium attracts water, and a high-sodium diet draws water into the bloodstream, which can increase the volume of blood and subsequently your blood pressure. High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a condition in which blood pressure remains elevated over time. Hypertension makes the heart work too hard, and the high force of the blood flow can harm arteries and organs (such as the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes). Uncontrolled high blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. In addition, blood pressure generally rises as you get older, so limiting your sodium intake becomes even more important each year.

 

Function:

It maintains balance of body fluid, smooth running of muscles and Neves.

10 Easy Tips for Reducing Sodium Consumption

Follow these tips to reduce the amount of sodium in diet.

1. Read the Nutrition Facts label 
   Compare and choose foods to get less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day.
2. Prepare your own food
   Limit packaged foods.
3. Add flavor without adding sodium 
   Reduce amount of table salt added to foods when cooking, baking, or at the table.
4. Buy fresh 
   Buy fresh meat, poultry, and seafood, rather than processed varieties
5. Watch your vegetables
   Buy fresh vegetables and choose frozen vegetables with no sauce or seasoning. Avoid canned vegetables with high amount of salt.
6. If bound to use canned the rinse.
   Rinse sodium-containing canned foods before eating. This removes some of the sodium.
7. Chose unsalted snakes. 
   Avoid salt added nuts, seeds, and chips. Try to have carrot or celery sticks instead.
8. Salads and pickles. 
    Choose light or reduced sodium salads and pickles.
9. Reduce portion size 
   Less food means less sodium.
10. Be wise at restaurants menu selection 

Request less sodium sauces and salad dressing. Ask about nutrition information and then choose options that are lower in sodium