A new study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that Americans’ health would improve greatly if they cut back on salt. The association between high levels of sodium and poor health may seem obvious, but the results of the study were far more dramatic than expected.
Following a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, editors of the Journal concluded in its Jan. 20 edition that if adults trimmed their salt intake by roughly 1,200 milligrams of sodium, they would be considerably more likely to avoid heart disease. The study estimated that the number of heart attacks in the U.S. would drop by up to 13 percent. Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., would decrease by 11 percent, and the number of strokes would be expected to decline by eight percent.
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, who led the study that inspired the later report’s conclusions, said sodium is necessary in controlled amounts because it helps various processes in the body, such as nerve transmission and muscle contraction, but most Americans simply consume too much.
Most medical groups, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommend anywhere between about 1,480 and 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day. The average American man consumes about 4,160 milligrams of sodium, while the average woman consumes about 2,920 milligrams of sodium.
The study’s report reads, “Mean salt intake in the United States is extremely high in most age groups, including children, and is well above the current daily recommended upper limit of (2,300 millgrams of sodium)” — which means most Americans would have to decrease their salt intake by more than 1,200 milligrams to truly improve their health.
But Bibbins-Domingo said “it’s a start.”
In a world where people obsess over trans fats and carbohydrates, the dangers of sodium-rich diets are often overlooked. Because sodium absorbs water, excess amounts increase the volume of blood, which subsequently makes the heart work faster. The extra strain on the heart increases blood pressure, which can lead to a variety of conditions such as strokes, blindness, congestive heart failure and kidney damage.
Sodium is generally associated with table salt, but the majority of it comes from processed food. According to an article from the Mayo Clinic, processed and prepared foods account for 77 percent of our sodium intake. The other 23 percent come from salt added while cooking (5 percent), salt added while eating (6 percent), and natural sources like dairy products and vegetables (12 percent).
Americans who eat prepackaged foods like soup, pasta sauces and chips often may not realize how much sodium they contain. Many students may be especially affected, as sodium-laden foods such as ramen and popcorn are popular choices for their convenience and low cost.
“I kind of worry about how much sodium I eat, because I know I eat a lot of it,” University sophomore Chasidy Wright said. “I always use soy sauce and ketchup on things and worry about it since they’re so salty, but that doesn’t stop me.”
Other students are more conscious of the negative effects of a sodium-heavy diet.
“I usually try to eat healthier goods,” University freshman Dylan Hornstein said. “If I’m eating junk food, I look at how much sugar is in it first, then at calories and fat. Sodium isn’t really on my list. I don’t use a lot of salt, only for things like potatoes.”
Many cities have started passing policies to cut back on sodium, much like some cities’ recent bans on trans-fatty foods. For example, the New York City Department of Health announced its plan two weeks ago to reduce the population’s sodium consumption by 20 percent in the next five years, particularly by encouraging companies to cut the levels of sodium in their products.
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Hold the salt, save your heart
Daily Emerald
January 25, 2010
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