|
Sodium
Sodium is a mineral. The main dietary
source of sodium is common table salt (sodium chloride), which is 40% sodium
and 60 chloride, but regular unprocessed foods contain natural sodium as
well. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cheese all contribute sodium.
The Dietary Guidelines for healthy American adults
recommends limiting dietary intake to less than 2400 milligrams (mg) per
day. The human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function
normally. We need about 250 mg of sodium each day, which is easily supplied
by natural, unprocessed foods; however, the average American consumes
approximately 4000 to 6000 mg per day. In Asian diets, the sodium intake can
climb to over 8000 mg per day.
|
1 teaspoon of
salt contains about 2400 mg of sodium
|
High sodium intake is linked to high blood pressure.
For some people, high sodium diets can also cause fluid retention and
swelling in the feet and hands.
The foods highest in sodium are processed and
packaged foods. Salt-based seasonings are also big sodium contributors. For
example:
|
Processed meats |
hotdogs, sausage, cold cuts, bacon, corned beef, salt pork, ham, dried
fish |
|
Salted snacks |
chips, pretzels, nuts, crackers, popcorn |
|
Condiments |
soy
sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, catsup, steak
sauce, some salad dressings and marinades |
|
Salted seasonings |
garlic salt, onion salt, meat tenderizers, monosodium glutamate,
bouillon |
|
Pickled foods |
pickles and relish, pickled foods of all types, olives, sauerkraut |
|
Canned foods |
soups, sauces, tomato sauce, canned vegetables |
|
Packaged foods |
flavored or instant rice, noodle or potato mixes, TV dinners |
|
Fast foods |
fast food restaurants, in general, serve high sodium foods |
|
Cheese |
cheeses and processed cheese spreads |
- Don't add salt
during cooking or at the table.
- Choose fresh,
unprocessed foods.
- Choose frozen
and canned foods without added salt.
- Look for "Low
Sodium" or "Unsalted" on package labels.
- Read the
nutrition facts of the food label for the milligrams of sodium. (140
mg or less = low sodium)
- Ask for
restaurant meals to be prepared without salt.
- Limit trips to
fast food restaurants.
|
- Herbs and
spices
- Sea salt
- Fresh or
powdered garlic and onions
- Fresh lemon or
lime juice
- Ginger or fresh
ground horseradish
- Pepper
- Flavored
vinegar
- Salt-free
seasoning mixes
|
Yes, use sea salt which does not have the risks of
regular table salt.
Use
the back button on your browser to return to the previous page
How to Have a Healthy
Heart
Take this preliminary
to see if your cardiovascular system condition could respond to nutritional
therapy.
|
