Cutting salt is good for your health

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If you follow the news, you may have heard about New York City officials' recent efforts to cut salt from restaurant menus and snacks sold in the city. This is only the newest in a series of bold health measures taken by Mayor Bloomberg's administration, including a trans fat ban enacted in 2008, new requirements for calorie labels in restaurants, and a city-funded anti-soft drink ad campaign. 

According to New York City's health commissioner Thomas Farley, "We all consume way too much salt, and most of the salt we consume is in the food when we buy it." More specifically, frozen meals, canned and packaged foods, condiments, snacks, and restaurant dishes often contain unhealthy amounts of sodium (one of the major chemical components of salt). So if you have a taste for salt-and you wouldn't be alone in this-it likely comes from eating these things.

How much salt is needed?

A small amount of sodium is essential for the human body to function. It helps regulate fluid levels in the body, it helps keep electrical signals flowing through the nervous system, and it assists in muscle functioning. However, these needs can be fulfilled with much less salt than most people eat per day

Health Canada informs us that "the amount of sodium considered adequate to promote good health in adults is 1,500 mg per day," and both the Canadian and U.S. governments say adults shouldn't exceed 2,300 mg daily-an amount that is easily exceeded by a typical restaurant meal.

For example, let's say you go to McDonald's and order a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (not a double), Large French Fries with two ketchup packets and one salt packet, and a large Coke. Based on the company's own nutritional information, this meal would add up to 2050 mg of salt (and if you're curious, over 1500 calories). That's just one meal, not including dessert.

What happens if you eat too much salt?

When consumed in excess, salt has several types of negative effects on the body. For one thing, it prevents your body from absorbing water in healthy ways, which can make you dehydrated and contribute to electrolyte disturbances.

Meanwhile, because salt absorbs fluids, it causes you to retain liquids, which basically makes your blood heavier and thicker. Over time, this can have all sorts of negative health effects, including high blood pressure and strained heart functioning, which can greatly worsen other cardiovascular issues.

There are other conditions that can make you more susceptible to salt-related health problems. For example, if you're overweight or obese, this can limit your body's ability to process salt. Other risk factors include lack of exercise, alcohol abuse, hypertension, or advanced age.

How to cut salt

There are simple things you can do to cut salt in your diet, but first it's important to adjust your palate. After years of excessive salt consumption, many of us have the impression that a certain amount of salt is needed to make a typical meal taste right. But in fact, salt can diminish your taste sensitivity, decreasing your ability to taste the subtle flavors in food. This will start to reverse once you get used to eating less salt. You'll star to more fully taste your meals. 

But on a more practical level, as registered Canadian dietician Alyssa Rolnick writes, "One of the best ways to control salt intake is to prepare more home-cooked meals." Rather than settling on frozen meals or canned soups, which often have huge sodium contents, make meals from scratch with fresh produce, whole grains, and unprocessed meats.

Also, Rolnick advises us to go easy on the toppings. "Ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces, spreads and salad dressings all contain loads of sodium." Make your own toppings, utilizing high-quality oils and sodium-free herbs and spices.

Image courtesy of ljgreene84 via Flickr