We all love a dash of salt on our favourite dishes to really bring out the flavour, but it’s important to be aware of the effects of salt on our health. Salt has gained a bit of a negative reputation in recent years, and it’s important to know all the facts about salt and your health, in order to make smarter dietary choices.
Salt and Sodium: The Pros and Cons
The scientific name for salt is sodium chloride, because it is made up of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium is an important nutrient, which the body needs for the following functions:
- Helping the muscles to contract and relax;
- Sending nerve impulses throughout the body;
- Regulating fluid and mineral balance.
We need a small amount of sodium to support these vital functions; around 500mg daily is enough. However, because of the high levels of salt that’s being added to so many processed and pre-packaged foods today, our modern-day diet typically includes far more sodium than we actually need!
Too much sodium is bad news for your health. Excessive consumption of sodium has been linked to high blood pressure, as well as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Too much sodium can also deplete your body’s calcium levels, which impacts the health of your bones.
Did You Know? Just one teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300mg of sodium. Health professionals advise that we keep our sodium intake to less than 2,300mg a day.
Reducing Salt in Your Diet
- Always read the food labels to check the sodium content of the foods you’re buying.
- Compare different brands to see which has the lowest sodium content.
- Look for products that say “no salt added” on the packaging.
- Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
- Use more herbs and spices as seasonings in your cooking, instead of salt.
- Drain and rinse your canned foods before cooking them.
- Add more potassium-rich foods (e.g. bananas, sweet potato and kidney beans) to your diet. Potassium is beneficial for blood pressure, and can help to counter the effects of sodium.
A little salt is good for your body (and a treat for your taste buds), but it’s important to make smart everyday dietary choices to make sure you’re not consuming too much.
Sources:
How Much Sodium Do You Need? Retrieved from: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/281629/how-much-sodium-do-you-need/
How much sodium is too much for a day? Retrieved from: https://www.nola.com/gambit/lifestyle/article_d42b4e3d-2cc4-5a8e-9762-df4bbbb41c1b.html
Top 10 Tips for Reducing salt in Your Diet. Retrieved from: https://www.kidney.org/newsletter/top-10-tips-reducing-salt-your-diet
How to Reduce Sodium. Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-to-reduce-sodium