Spice up your life - Cut back Salt / Sodium

Salt is a chemical compound called sodium chloride, with the formula NaCL (Na = sodium, CL = chlorine). Sodium chloride consists of 40% sodium and 60% chlorine. Salt is of low toxicity and is non-flammable. Seen under a microscope, table salt is made up of many cube-shaped crystals. 

Salt exists naturally in seawater. When an area of seawater becomes enclosed it evaporates under the sun, a deposit is left. Over millions of years other sediments have been deposited over the salt, leaving beds of halite (rock salt) below the surface. 

Salt used to be used just as a diet supplement and as a means of preserving food. Later, salt was used in such processes as tanning, dyeing and bleaching. Relatively more recently, salt has been used for glazing pottery, soap-making and the early manufacture of chlorine. Today salt is widely used in the chemical industry, and also for water softening.

 

Sodium and Salt

Salt is sodium chloride (sodium plus chlorine). The sodium in the salt is what you have to look out for. 40% of salt is sodium. If sodium is listed on the label's nutritional information instead of salt you have to multiply the amount by 2.5 to get the equivalent salt content. For example, if a portion of food contains 1g of sodium per 100g, you will know it contains 2.5g of salt per 100g.

To know how much salt a portion of food has, look at the label. If it says, for example, 1g of salt per 100g, and you consume 500g, you will get 5g. If the label specifies sodium, multiply the amount by 2.5.

 

Sodium and you

Your body needs some sodium to function properly because it:

• Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
• Helps transmit nerve impulses
• Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles
• Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your sodium levels are low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When sodium levels are high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.
• But if for some reason your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.

 

How much salt?

Adults are advised to consume no more than 6g salt per day (about one teaspoon). Current intake is about 9g per day – that’s 50 per cent higher than is recommended for good health. Children should eat less salt (see below for recommendations for babies and children). Of course, one easy way to eat less salt is to stop adding salt to your food during cooking and at the dinner table. If you regularly add salt to food when cooking, try cutting it out or adding less: you’ll rediscover the real tastes of your favorite foods. And when you sit down to eat, taste your food first to see if it needs salt.

Recommended adequate sodium intake

 

·         1,000 mg for children age one to three.

·         1,200 mg for children age four to eight.

·         1,500 mg for people age nine to 50.

·         1,300 mg for adults age 51 to 70.

·         1,200 mg for seniors over 70.

Consuming more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day increases your risk of health problems.

Babies, children and salt

Babies and children under 11 should have less salt than adults.

Babies under a year old need less than 1g of salt a day, therefore try not to add salt to their diet as their kidneys can’t cope with more. If a baby is breastfed, he or she will get the right amount of salt from breast milk. Formula milk contains a similar amount.

 

Use nutrition labels

Cutting back on added salt is only a small part of the solution. To really cut down, you need to become aware of the salt that is already in the everyday foods you buy, and choose lower salt options. Fortunately, nutrition labels on food packaging now make this a lot easier. Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the pack or side of the packaging.

Many foods also display information on the salt content on the front of the packaging. This may show the salt content as a percentage of your Guideline Daily Amount, or display a traffic light to show whether the food is low, medium or high in salt. Where traffic lights are used, red means high: leave these foods for an occasional treat, and aim to eat mainly foods that are green or amber.

Look at the amount for salt per 100g:

 High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium). May display a red traffic light.

Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium). May display a green traffic light.

If the amount of salt per 100g is in between 0.3g and 1.5g, that is a medium level of salt, and the packaging may display an amber traffic light.

The Nutrition Facts table and the ingredient list will tell you how much sodium is in a serving of just about any food you buy:

·         Look at the per cent daily values (% DV) and choose products that are 10 per cent or less for sodium.

·         Not all sodium content is listed as "sodium." You're also getting sodium from ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda, sodium sulfite, sodium nitrate or soy sauce.

As a rule, aim for foods that have a low or medium salt content. Leave high-salt foods for occasional use.

 

Sodium: Main dietary sources

The average person gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day — much more than recommended. To help keep your sodium consumption in check, you need to know where the sodium comes from. Here are the main sources of sodium in a typical diet:

Processed and prepared foods. The vast majority of sodium in the diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. These foods are typically high in salt, which is a combination of sodium and chloride, and in additives that contain sodium. Processed foods include bread, prepared dinners like pasta, meat and egg dishes, pizza, cold cuts and bacon, cheese, soups, and fast foods.

 

Natural sources. Some foods naturally contain sodium. These include all vegetables and dairy products such as milk, meat and shellfish. While they don't have an abundance of sodium, eating these foods does add to your overall sodium intake. For example, 1 cup (237 milliliters) of low-fat milk has about 107 mg of sodium.

 

In the kitchen and at the table. Many recipes call for salt, and many people also salt their food at the table. Condiments may also contain sodium. One tablespoon (15 milliliters) of soy sauce, for example, has about 1,000 mg of sodium.

Sodium levels of selected cheeses (100 g portion)

Feta 1,744.6 mg.

Mozzarella 751.9 mg.

Processed slice Regular 1662.5, Light & Fat-free 1490.9.

  Cheddar (medium) 706.7

Know your labels

Many food packages include sodium-related terms. Here's what they mean:

Sodium-free or salt-free. Each serving in this product contains less than 5 mg of sodium.

Very low sodium. Each serving contains 35 mg of sodium or less.

Low sodium. Each serving contains 140 mg of sodium or less.

Reduced or less sodium. The product contains at least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version. You should check the label to see how much sodium is in a serving.

Lite or light in sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50 percent from the regular version. You should check the label to see how much sodium is in a serving.

Unsalted or no salt added. No salt is added during processing of a food that normally contains salt. However, some foods with these labels may still be high in sodium because some of the ingredients may be high in sodium.

But watch out — foods labeled "reduced sodium" or "light in sodium" may still contain a lot of salt. For example, regular canned chicken noodle soup contains about 1,100 mg of sodium per cup, so a product with 25 percent less sodium still has a whopping 820 mg of sodium per cup. The same holds true for "lite" or "light in sodium" varieties.

Try to avoid products with more than 200 mg of sodium per serving. And check the Nutrition Facts label closely for the serving size — and consider how many servings you actually eat.

High salt foods

These foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often or have smaller amounts:

·         anchovies

·         bacon

·         cheese

·         gravy granules

·         ham

·         olives

·         pickles

·         prawns

·         salami

·         salted and dry roasted nuts

·         salt fish

·         smoked meat and fish

·         soy sauce

·         stock cubes

·         yeast extract

Foods that can be high in salt

In these foods, the salt content can vary widely between different brands or varieties. That means you can cut down on salt by comparing brands, and choosing the one that is lower in salt. Nutrition labels can help you do this.

These foods include:

·         bread products such as crumpets, bagels etc..

·         pasta sauces

·         crisps

·         pizza

·         ready meals

·         soup

·         sandwiches

·         sausages

·         tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces

·         breakfast cereals

Tips to cut back Sodium

Virtually everyone can benefit from reducing the sodium in their diet. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts. Stick to unsalted nuts and avoiding salty snacks like chips and pretzels. Opt for fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses and low-fat yogurt. Select unsalted, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups. Season your food with herbs and spices instead of salt.

Be a savvy shopper

Taste alone may not tell you which foods are high in sodium. For example, you may not think a bagel tastes salty, but a typical 4-inch (10-centimeter) oat-bran bagel has about 532 mg of sodium, and even a slice of whole-wheat bread contains 132 mg of sodium.

So how can you tell which foods are high in sodium? Read food labels. The Nutrition Facts label found on most packaged and processed foods lists the amount of sodium in each serving. It also lists whether the ingredients include salt or sodium-containing compounds, such as:

·         Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

·         Baking soda

·         Baking powder

·         Disodium phosphate

·         Sodium alginate

·         Sodium nitrate or nitrite

Here are more ways you can cut back on sodium:

Eat more fresh foods. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than are luncheon meat, bacon, hot dogs, sausage and ham. Buy fresh and frozen poultry or meat that hasn't been injected with a sodium-containing solution. Look on the label or ask your butcher. Buy plain whole-grain rice and pasta instead of ones that have added seasonings. Make your own soups from scratch.

Opt for low-sodium products. If you do buy processed foods, choose those that are labeled "low sodium."

Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. You can leave out the salt in many recipes, including casseroles, stews and other main dishes that you cook. Baked goods are generally an exception since leaving out the salt could affect the quality and taste. Use cookbooks that focus on lowering risks of high blood pressure and heart disease to help guide you to sparing the salt without spoiling taste or quality.

Limit use of sodium-laden condiments. Soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces, dips, ketchup, mustard and relish all contain sodium.

Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods. Use fresh or dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruit, and fruit juices to jazz up your meals. And remember that sea salt has about the same amount of sodium as table salt.

Use salt substitutes wisely. Some salt substitutes or light salts contain a mixture of table salt and other compounds. To achieve that familiar salty taste, you may use too much of the substitute — and get too much sodium. Also, many salt substitutes contain potassium chloride. Although potassium can lessen some of the problems from excess sodium, too much potassium can be harmful if you have kidney problems or if you're taking medications for congestive heart failure or high blood pressure that cause potassium retention.

Cut back Sodium gradually

Your taste for salt is acquired, so you can learn to enjoy less. Decrease your use of salt gradually and your taste buds will adjust. After a few weeks of cutting back on salt, you probably won't miss it, and some foods may even taste too salty. Start by using no more than 1/4 teaspoon of salt daily — at the table and in cooking. Then throw away the salt shaker. As you use less salt, your preference for it diminishes, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the food itself, with heart-healthy benefits.


Also Read:-

Probiotics and Prebiotics - Let's have and grow some good bacteria in our body

Lets know the facts - Fat and Cholesterol

Its Fiber Food That Makes You Feel Full Faster

Maintain a healthy heart with a healthy lifestyle

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