A Little Salt Can Be A Big Deal for Your Health

Posted by Kelli Arruzzo 

I was making dinner the other night off of a recipe that called for a "pinch" of salt. I aptly added that pinch, but when I was sitting down, enjoying the meal, I thought to myself that it could be a bit more salty. A few days later, I had a conversation with someone in the office about sodium levels, and decided to track how much sodium I was consuming in one day. My results: I, like many people, was consuming far too much, above the recommended maximum!

What's the big deal? I did a bit of research, and found, from the Mayo Clinic, "If your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume, in turn, makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, increasing pressure in your arteries." This increase in pressure can lead to excess fluid retention and increased blood pressure, which can ultimately cause cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

How much is the right amount? Your body does need sodium, about 1,500 to 2,400 milligrams, to be exact.

What can you do?

• Consume less processed and prepared foods, as they tend to have the most sodium in them. (Those healthy fast food meals I talked about last week, if you consume one of each in one day - 19.5 Points worth you'd be having 2,390mgs, only 10mgs less than the upper limit.)
• Skip adding extra salt to your food (1 teaspoon of table salt contains 2,325mgs of sodium), and add other herbs and spices to enhance flavor.
• Eat fresh foods.
• And, of course, read the labels on the products you buy!