Salt Why do we need it?Our body needs a certain amount of salt in a day to function properly. Here are its three basic functions:
- It aids in transmitting nerve impulses.
- It aids in preserving the fluids in our body in right balance.
- It also helps in relaxation and contraction of the muscles.
Salt: What is ideal salt intake?According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as mentioned in you should limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. A lower sodium level — 1,500 mg a day — is appropriate for people 51 years of age or older. A lower sodium limit also applies to people with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
Salt: How to read food labels for salt contentYou will be surprised to know that, sometimes (and with certain packaged foods) taste is not the only deciding factor when judging salt content in any food. Quite often, salt or sodium is hidden in different preservatives, and other food ingredients, which a simple tasting can't detect. So what is the best way to judge the levels of salt in your food? Simple answer - read food labels carefully. Many food labels don’t talk about the salt content directly but they have the following terms mentioned at the back of the food items:
- Very low sodium: This means that each serving of that particular food item contains 35 mg of salt or less.
- Light in sodium: This means that at least 50 percent of the sodium content is reduced when compared to the regular sodium item.
- Reduced levels of sodium: This means that it has around 25 percent of less sodium when compared to the regular sodium product.
- Salt-free or sodium-free: This means that each serving of the product contains less than 5 mg of sodium level.
- Low sodium: This means that each serving has around 135 mg of sodium or less than that.
- No Salt Added: This ideally means that no salt is added to the product.
Salt: Tips to cut back on saltHere is what you should do in order to cut back on your salt intake:
- Go for fresh food produce rather than processed ones: Many of the naturally produced food and fruit products are low in salt. Fresh meat is low in salt content when compared to its refined and processed versions such as ham, bacon, sausages and hot dogs.
- Check the label and go for low salt products: As explained earlier, the trick lies in going for food products which are low in sodium content by carefully checking the label.
- Go for herbs and other spices instead of extra salt: One can go for in-season produce of dried herbs to add that extra flavour to meals. You can also go for fresh fruits juices, citrus fruits and spices to boost the flavour in your meals.
- Go for salt substitutes: Opt for salt substitutes wisely as they may have a mixture of table salts and other kind of salts. Don’t go for too many salt substitutes; Use them wisely. This is because they may contain excess volumes of potassium, which does help in lessening some of the problems caused by high salt content, but too much of it can lead to kidney problems or eventually heart problems.
Above all, it's about training yourself to appreciate food with lower salt content. Gradually decrease your daily salt intake by using less than one teaspoon salt in all your daily food intake and try to cut back on salt add-on
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