How Salty is Your Diet?
By Betty Gibb
Kansas Senior Press Service
A project of the KU Center on Aging
Q. My doctor says I tend to have high blood pressure and I should cut down on salt, but I don’t know just what that means. How much salt is too much? How does a person know what amount of salt is in the foods they eat?
A. You should get more information from your doctor and perhaps ask for a referral to a dietitian who can give you specific, individual advice. The comments that follow are just general information that might be helpful.
High blood pressure affects about 50 million Americans—one in four adults. It is the leading cause of stroke and contributes to heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure according to the National Institutes of Health.
One important aspect of high blood pressure prevention and management that has raised questions among scientists and in the media is the effect of sodium consumption on blood pressure. Sodium chloride, or table salt, increases average levels of blood pressure. Some individuals have greater blood pressure responses to salt than others.
“Sodium is of great concern,” said Bobbie Mostyn, author of Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods. “We’re eating out more, we have less time to plan meals and rely more on convenience and processed foods which are loaded with salt.” The end result, Americans consume 4,000 – 6,000 mg sodium per day, two to three times the recommended level.
According to Mostyn, most people with high blood pressure should consume less than 1,500 mg sodium a day. In addition to putting less stress on the heart and kidneys, she said a low-salt diet helps your medication work more effectively.
Mostyn should know. Diagnosed with hypertension and told to cut back on salt, she quickly found how difficult staying on a low-sodium diet can be. As a result she doesn’t eat out as much as she used to and avoids processed and convenience foods. She suggests staying away from the center aisles of the supermarket, filled with salty snacks and packaged products. Instead focus on fresh fruits and vegetables that have little sodium.
From her book, here is a list of the sodium in typical meals:
Breakfast:
Eggs w/hash browns, bacon & toast – 1,453mg
2 pancakes w/butter & syrup – 1,104mg
Bagel w/cream cheese – 784mg
Lunch:
Roast beef on rye w/cheese & chips – 2,981mg
Cheeseburger w/condiments & fries – 1,854mg
Soup & salad w/LF Italian dressing – 1,339mg
Dinner:
Pizza w/meat & veggies, 2 slices – 6,108mg
Fried chicken, 1 piece dinner – 2,049mg
Spaghetti w/meat sauce, bread & salad – 1853mg
Sweet/sour pork w/egg rolls & fried rice – 1,848mg
Tamale & beef enchilada w/rice & beans – 1,812mg
Read the labels. If you don’t know how much salt is in a food, you can’t take control of your diet.
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