The American Heart Association's guidelines state that a high intake of salt does adversely affect blood pressure¹. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a common health problem for those of us who are quite overweight. High blood pressure is sometimes called "the silent killer" because it has no symptoms or warning signs. A person with high blood pressure may not know it until serious damage has been done. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked. For individuals who are very obese, high blood pressure is more the rule than an exception. Left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk for several life threatening diseases including stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. Disorders such as diabetes and high cholesterol that often coexist with hypertension in extremely obese people, amplify these risk factors considerably.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, many people with high blood pressure, who cut back on salt and sodium, find that their blood pressure falls. We don't have to wait till we have lost our extra weight to begin to empower our own bodies to turn back those high blood pressure numbers. We don't have to wait for our daily diet to be perfect. Besides seeing a doctor and taking antihypertensive medications when prescribed, limiting our intake of sodium may be one of the most effective things we can do to help ourselves right now.

How much is to much?

The human body needs the mineral sodium to function. It plays an important role in maintaining the water balance within cells,  the maintenance of blood volume, and blood pressure. It is also needed for nerve transmission and muscle contraction. However, as important as sodium is, our bodies actually need very little. The National Academy of Sciences, has determined that the recommended safe minimum daily amount is about 500 milligrams of sodium. Most Americans consume quite a bit more salt than their bodies need. If they have the habit of adding salt at the table and tend to eat a lot of fast food and processed food, it's not unusual to find them consuming 6000 milligrams of sodium a day. The National Institute of Health recommends limiting the sodium consumption to less than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day. That equals about 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of common table salt a day.

Under The Food & Drug Administration's current food labeling rules, the daily value for sodium is set at 2,400 mg. The FDA established this value because it is consistent with recommendations and government reports that encourage reduced sodium intakes. The percentages given on the food labels for how much sodium a single serving contains are based on this number. For instance, a single serving of canned string beans, ½ cup, contains 15% of the total daily value. A half cup of strings beans is probably not a realistic normal portion for many people, especially for those of us who are trying to shed extra weight. We often load up on veggies and cut down on fatty high calorie foods.

Note: The new 2005 USDA dietary guidelines suggest that we:

• Consume less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) of sodium per day.
• Those middle-aged and older, African-Americans, and people who already have high blood pressure should try to limit sodium to a maximum of 1,500 milligrams daily.
• Choose and prepare foods with little salt. At the same time, consume potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

In February 2004, The Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board released a report presenting dietary reference values for the intake of nutrients by Americans and Canadians. They said that healthy 19 to 50 year-old adults should consume 1.5 grams of sodium and 2.3 grams of chloride each day — or 3.8 grams of salt — to replace the amount lost daily on average through sweat and to achieve a diet that provides sufficient amounts of other essential nutrients.

Note: High heat situations and heavy exercise may require additional supplies of sodium and other electrolytes including potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Electrolytes help maintain the balance of fluids in our bodies, and help regulate normal body functions, such as heart rhythm, muscle contraction, and brain function. The need to replace salt and other electrolytes lost through sweating during strenuous physical activity should be considered and discussed with your doctor.

Where's the salt?

It has been estimated that about seventy-five percent of the sodium Americans consume is used as an ingredient in processed foods. We can't take it out. That sodium is what the food industry includes during processing to enhance flavor, condition dough in baked products, act as a preservative, and help process basic raw ingredients into other food products like cheese where salt is necessary in its formation. Some sodium is present naturally in most foods. Sodium is also part of other chemical compounds used in our foods such as: sodium nitrate which is a curing agent used in bacon, sausage, and lunchmeat; sodium benzoate, a preservative used in many condiments such as relishes, sauces and salad dressings; sodium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda) a leavening agent; sodium saccharin, a sweetener; monosodium glutamate (MSG) a flavor enhancer; disodium phosphate, used in some quick-cooking cereals and processed cheeses; sodium alginate which is used in many chocolate milks and ice creams to make them smooth; sodium propionate, used in pasteurized cheese and in some breads and cakes to inhibit mold; sodium sulfite, used to bleach maraschino cherries and glazed or crystallized fruits that are to be artificially colored—sodium sulfite is also used as a preservative in some dried fruits; sodium hydroxide, used to soften and loosen skins of ripe olives and certain fruits and vegetables during processing. Sodium bicarbonate is also found in baking powder.

Read the label

Notice in the ingredients list for the cream of mushroom soup that it lists salt and monosodium glutamate in a way that would seem to suggest they are very minor components of this product. But in the label above that (taken directly from the same can) it shows that a single serving contains 870 mg of sodium. There are 2½ servings in the can so a very hungry person would get 2175 milligrams of sodium if they ate the whole thing. That doesn't even take into account the sodium contained in the water and/or milk a person would add to prepare it or any 'saltine' crackers. The National Institute of Health recommends limiting sodium consumption to less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day for a healthy person.

TV dinners, pickles, olives, fast food, soups, salad dressing, ham, bacon, instant cup of soup, single serving instant noodles, catsup & mustard, canned vegetables, pizza, sausage, hotdogs, lunch meat, processed cheese foods, meat tenderizer, bouillon cubes, soy & steak sauce, and sauerkraut, are all foods that are generally very high in sodium. In fact, the majority of highly processed  foods are high sodium foods when compared to fresh foods and produce. Cottage cheese, often a staple for dieters, is also very salty (about 450 milligrams of sodium per half a cup). A 12-ounce can of V8 vegetable juice has 930 milligrams.

Fresh is best

A single serving of canned green beans (1/2 cup) contains 370 mg of sodium. That same amount of fresh green beans contains only 2 mg of sodium—a dramatic difference. Plus, the fresh beans will contain substantially more nutrients and fresh always tastes so much better. One reason manufacturers add so much salt to things like canned or packaged soups, stews, and spaghetti is because it is substantially cheaper than the flavorful vegetables, meats, and herbs that you would get in homemade foods.

Salt: The Forgotten Killer - Center for Science in the Public Interest. A diet high in salt (sodium chloride) is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Despite pleas from government and other health experts over the last quarter-century to reduce salt consumption, Americans are consuming more—not less—salt.

This web site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with a professional dietician, nutritionist, physician, or mental health professional. None of the information presented within this web site is meant to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any physical or emotional ailments or conditions.