How Much Sodium Do You Need?
This slideshow offers some tips on figuring out how much sodium an individual should consume. One factor to consider is age: Salt sensitivity, the likelihood that sodium will raise blood pressure, increases with age. Blood sugar is another consideration; the blood vessels of people with diabetes already are stiffer, so those individuals are more likely to experience the adverse effects of high blood pressure. Ethnicity is another important factor: African Americans are more likely to have high blood pressure, and to develop it at earlier ages, than whites or Hispanics. – EatingWell
Foods That Are Saltier than You Think
Many surprising foods have high amounts of sodium. This slideshow presents 13 “sneaky” sources of sodium. Salad dressing, barbecue sauce, and marinades can contain 10% to 20% of recommended daily sodium intake in a 1- or 2-tablespoon serving. But sodium content can be controlled by making marinades and salad dressings at home. Many cereals have 180–300 milligrams of sodium per serving; a better choice is plain oatmeal topped with fruit. Some soy and veggie burgers include a long list of highly processed ingredients and use sodium to enhance flavor. Patties can include 400–500 milligrams of sodium—and that is without a bun, condiments, or cheese. – ABC News
Food Science 101: Salt
This article describes the role salt plays in our perception of food, from the taste buds to the body’s cells. Saltiness is one of the five basic flavors that taste buds can sense, but it also modifies perception of the other four flavors by acting as an amplifier through a biological process called depolarization. For example, salt overrides the signal to the brain indicating bitterness, effectively masking bitter sensations. The way to take advantage of these processes and achieve restaurant-quality results at home is to aim for the “bliss point” where the natural flavors are emphasized but not yet noticeably salty. In practice, this means adding salt just a pinch at a time during each step of a recipe. – Huffington Post
Is It Time to Bring the Salt Shaker Back to the Table?
The biological rationale for restricting sodium intake is compelling, but the science does not back it up, according to John Sloan, a practicing family physician and clinical professor at the University of British Columbia. The Cochrane Collaboration, which has conducted two meta-analyses on the subject, concluded that long-term trials of extreme reduction in dietary sodium only minimally reduce blood pressure. Another large meta-analysis indicated that sodium reduction correlates with minor changes in heart disease risk factors. But this review, echoing the Cochrane findings, found little to indicate that sodium intake significantly affects heart disease directly. – The Epoch Times
Melting Snow, Road Salt Causing Increased Sodium Levels in Drinking Water
Officials with United Water New Jersey say they have found elevated levels of sodium chloride in customers’ drinking water, a side effect of the state’s unusually harsh winter. Experts say road salt is washed into sewers by melting snow. The salt finds its way into reservoirs and, ultimately, drinking water. Dietitians say the increased salt levels could be dangerous for people on low sodium diets. United Water says sodium levels in drinking water rise every winter, but because there has been so much snow this year, sodium levels are three to four times higher than usual. An 8-ounce glass of water contains about 28 milligrams of sodium, about the same as 8 ounces of diet soda. – News 12 New Jersey