Eating Out: Salt-savvy tips for cutting sodium
Pepper may be used to add the heat, but when it comes to diet debates the seasoning closest to the fire is salt.
Government health officials have declared the sodium in table salt a nutrition no-no and advise limiting its use.
Research shows that too much sodium in the diet is associated with high blood pressure, which can increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.
Meanwhile, there’s a heaping helping of scientists who say there’s not enough research to prove that — even if it does raise blood pressure a bit — salt consumption causes heart disease deaths.
So who should care about consuming too much salt? Just about everyone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that 70 percent of U.S. adults should limit sodium intake. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend healthy adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about one teaspoon of salt) per day. A lower limit of 1,500 mg per day is recommended for adults with high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, those over age 50 and all African-American adults.
FYI: Most of us consume about 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day (about two teaspoons).
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