Salt is bad for heart health. A few tips can easily reduce its place in our diet.
- You should consume less than 5 grams of salt per day according to the World Health Organization.
- WHO estimates that 2.5 million deaths could be avoided each year if global salt consumption were reduced to recommended levels.
We consume between 9 and 12 grams of salt per day, which is twice the maximum recommended dose, according to theWorld Health Organization. Salt contains sodium, a mineral essential for the proper functioning of the human body. But when consumed in excess, it increases the risk of cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure or stroke. Researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a US health institute, provide a few tips to successfully reduce salt intake.
Heart health: why is it so difficult to eat less salt?
“It’s hard for most people to avoid foods high in sodium, in part because salt is hidden everywhere and they aren’t always aware of foods that contain high amounts of it.“, says Alison Brown, director of a prevention program in the cardiovascular sciences division of the NHLBI. According to her, the ideal way to reduce salt intake is to follow the DASH diet, an anti-hypertension diet, because it limits fats, sugars and sodium-rich products and favors fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. “The more you reduce your intake of sodium-rich foods and focus on eating potassium- and magnesium-rich foods, such as calcium-rich dairy products and green vegetables, the better your heart health will be.“, underlines this specialist.
Salt and Heart Health: Avoid Processed Foods
The best way to eat less salt is to measure the quantities yourself, and therefore to avoid prepared meals and processed foods. This includes pizzas, fast foods or canned dishes, but also already marinated meats, cold cuts or smoked fish. The ideal is to choose fresh products, such as fruits and vegetables.
Heart: target low-salt products
The labels of prepared products contain important information, including the sodium content. It is better to choose those with low levels or even without added salt. For example, salty dried fruits usually contain significant amounts of salt, so replace them with the no-salt-added versions.
Spicy dishes, a solution to eat less salt
By reducing the amount of salt in dishes, some foods may seem bland. To avoid this, it can be interesting to add herbs, spices, lemon, vinegar or other seasonings without salt, to stimulate your taste buds.
Heart health: condiments are often too high in salt
Industrial salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce: these various condiments are often too high in salt. These specialists even recommend limiting salt-reduced versions. According to them, pickles, pickled vegetables, olives or even sauerkraut can also be too high in salt and should be consumed sparingly.
Salt and heart health: a health professional can help you!
If you have difficulty reducing your salt intake, or if you have questions about the amounts, it may be worth talking to a healthcare professional. This can be a doctor, a dietician or any other medical personnel knowledgeable in the subject.
