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American consumption of salt is alarming
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It appears that salt has made it into the news again. A new government study recently released statistics that 7 out of 10 Americans should restrict their salt intake. Sadly, about 145 million adults in the United States are considered salt sensitive. It is recommended that they should only ingest less than two thirds of a teaspoon of salt per day. Unfortunately, only 10% of the group actually followed the recommendation.
Excessive salt intake has very negative health effects such as high blood pressure, heart and vascular problems, kidney disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are ranked in the top 5 causes of death. Both of which is may be highly related to lifestyle and diet management.
Ironically, it was estimated that about 80% of the average American's salt intake was already included in their foods and not because they had added any extra salt themselves. One possible source of the problem is due to an increase in consumption of processed and packaged foods. Processed foods have a high salt content because it acts as a preservative as well as a flavor enhancer. The high salt content added is used primarily to increase shelf life which can increase profitability. It is no surprise that from 1998-2004, the processed foods industry grew by 10%. In 2004, it was estimated that the industry generated over $470 billion dollars.
There is some work being done by the American Heart Association and nearly 3 dozen other groups trying to persuade food manufacturers and chain restaurants to reduce salt content by 50% over the next decade.
Until then, each American must take health into their own hands as it should be. The recommended amount of salt intake per day is between 1500-2400mg, according to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine. 2400 mg of salt is approximately 1 teaspoon worth.
Foods to avoid or be cautious of:
Frozen or TV meals
Canned food and soups
Cured meats (hams, bacon, salami)
Sauces and gravies
Flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Meat tenderizers and steak sauces
For assistance with your diet and lifestyle, please visit Team Body Dynamics
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