One of the types of studies that continues to be conducted is the relationship between people and salt, especially as people become so used to salt in their food that they add it to most meals after the food is cooked. According to the American Heart Association, adults shouldn’t have more than 2,300 milligrams of salt every day, but they strongly encourage people to stick to 1,500 milligrams daily. Too much salt raises blood pressure, which can cause a number of pulmonary problems, as well as increasing the risk of kidney disease and stroke. The UK National Health Service recommends just a teaspoon of salt daily.
What this study adds to the long list of studies and known risks of salt is the focus on adding salt after the meal is prepared. The study was conducted by the New Orleans’s Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Since people tend to add salt to add more flavor in their dish, the study offers other recommendations to help lower the amount of salt consumed in a day. A lot of processed foods already contain high levels of salt, meaning that even if salt isn’t added at the table, people are still consuming more salt than the recommended amount. The most obvious recommendation is to cook your meals at home, preparing the dishes from fresh ingredients. There are a number of cookbooks that offer solutions for quick, healthier foods that can help you reduce the amount of salt you consume daily. When you have to eat more processed foods, take the time to read the salt intake, then blend your food with other foods that don’t have salt added, particularly herbs and spices that are salt free. There are so many incredible spices and herbs that you can add, you can change the way every meal tastes by adding a different one to each dish, making every meal different with very little extra cost.
If you are interested in making healthy changes, you can get the full article at Why You Need to Stop Adding Salt and What You Can Do to Make Your Food Taste Good Instead.
*OConnell and Associates provides this article for informational purposes only.