Salt? We don't need no stinking salt shakers

The paragraph below is directly taken from the following source:

Examination of Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating
Systems and Symbols: Phase I Report
Ellen A. Wartella, Alice H. Lichtenstein, and Caitlin S.
Boon, Editors; Committee on Examination of
Front-of-Package Nutrition Ratings Systems and
Symbols; Institute of Medicine

The free PDF was downloaded from:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12957.html

 "Over the past four decades sodium intake in the United States has trended upward across both age and gender groups, and it currently averages 3,400 mg per day (IOM, 2010). This exceeds the Upper Intake (UL) levels of the Institute of Medicine and the recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for a daily sodium intake of less than 2,300 m in the general population and less than 1,500 mg for higher-risk subpopulations; similarly it exceeds more recent recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that most Americans should consume only 1,500 mg of sodium per day (IOM, 2005, 2010; DGAC, 2010). The top contributors to sodium intake are mixed dishes (e.g., sandwiches, pizza with meat, and hamburgers and cheeseburgers), meat and meat alternates, and grain products (e.g., bread, cold cereal, and rice) (see Table 4-4) (IOM, 2010)."

I share the paragraph so you will have context for the news story I am going to link you to, which describes a strategy implemented in Argentina where they have similar problems.  The thing is, salt does not increase hypertension risk for everyone.  We have seen the numbers of persons with the disease go up in a correlation with the amount of salt in foods.  It certainly appears that the increase in processed foods and meats has led to a problem.  What I think has NOT changed is the amount of table salt people have used over the past thirty years - so um, good try Argentina - but I am not feeling very hopeful that taking salt shakers off the tables at restaurants is really going to make a difference in hypertension levels for the population.  However, I will offer these two bonus outcomes for you.

1) Patrons no longer insulting the chef by salting their food before they even taste it . (My Dad's pet peeve)

2) Wait persons will have less side work to do at the end of the shift (cleaning and filling salt shakers)

Here is the story.

It Ain't What You Shake

Dateline Sarasota: Last day of work....

Had a restive night, not used to the bed, the house, the whatnot - but Mom is very hospitable. Started the day with my usual Friday morning treadmill run and the routine of it, the normalcy, was calming. Received really nice gifts and sentiments from my coworkers this last day. Oh, I think I will add the picture of us...

Now the Health Mention:

I had mentioned not long ago that there was again a push to address the salt content in our foods as the majority of Americans are consuming far more than the recommended 2400 mg a day. Not only are we consuming more than is recommended, but a growing number of health experts are saying that the recommendation itself is too high. What's more, the amount that we really need is less than a teaspoon - the mg amounts to about 3/4 of a teaspoon. (BTW too much salt effects blood volume and flow which then effects the arteries and thus can lead to heart disease)

According to people quoted in a recent Wall St Journal article, the problem isn't what we add, it is what is already there. The best way to get control of this intake is to limit processed and restaurant foods.

Salt is basically sodium and chloride and it is sodium that we are trying to limit. At least with processed foods you can read the labels. And DO read them, all of them, because sodium sneaks into foods. Bread, cheese and vegetarian meals can pack a wallop as can cereal.

Also, did you know that salt has its own advocacy industry. Yup, the Salt Institute. It IS true that we need a certain amount of sodium to maintain our system. At the same time, it is highly unlikely that a person would have a sodium deficiency. Those most at risk might be athletes, but then they are aware that they need electrolytes and I expect they would hydrate accordingly.

So the simple message for today is really this: Read your labels and avoid foods that have more than 300 mg per serving and follow these other tips offered by the public health folks at Harvard - home of my favorite PhD/MD - Walter Willett.