Salt: A Sneaky Culprit of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke

The British Medical Journal recently published an analysis on the effects of too much salt in our diets.

According to their research, which looked at 13 studies from 1966 to 2008:

High salt intake is associated with significantly increased risk of stroke and total cardiovascular disease. Because of imprecision in measurement of salt intake, these effect sizes are likely to be underestimated. These results support the role of a substantial population reduction in salt intake for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Yikes!

Over at Food Politics, Marion Nestle points to the study’s commentary which calls for more regulation in the food industry. Since “nearly 80 percent of salt enters the diet through processed and pre-prepared foods,” they argue that regulation is the best way to keep salt from sneaking into our diets so much (you can sign this petition to support sodium-reduction policies).

Is regulation the answer? Sure, it would be great to see restaurants and food companies step up and consider the health impacts of the food they’re producing. I’m just not sure it’s something that legislation alone can address.

One of the big problems, as Nestle points out, is that:

…the taste for salt depends on how much is eaten. On a low salt diet, even lightly salted foods taste salty. But if you are used to eating a lot of salt, it takes even more to taste salty. So the object needs to be to reduce salt in the diet across the board.

If we’re going to reduce salt intake across the board, consumers need to have a clear idea of salt’s health impacts. Education is key.

Not only do folks need to know the risks, they need solutions. If processed- and restaurant foods are the major culprits, it sounds like home cooked meals might be the answer.

Preparing home-cooked meals makes it so much easier to monitor how much salt is going into your food. Why wait for regulation when you can take charge of your diet in your very own kitchen? Here are three low-sodium recipes to get you started in reducing your risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease:

White Bean Soup with Greens and Rosemary
Autumn Vegetable Stew with Kale
Ginger Couscous Primavera

Do you guys have any favorite low-salt recipes? Share away in the comments!

Help Limit America’s Sodium Intake! Tell the FDA and FSIS to support policies that help reduce our collective consumption of salt.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Eternal G.

6:15PM PST on Feb 9, 2012

We're oversalted.

send a green star

Kath R.

10:48AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

Read labels...especially the portion size vs the daily %. You will be amazed at how much sodium is in food. Instead of blindly letting my husband take diuretics (as prescribed the Dr.) I changed my cooking habits to low/no sodium. It's made a world of difference to his blood pressure readings and he feels a lot better.

Kathy P.

10:41AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

Hello. My name is Kathy, and I am a salt-aholic. I realized I had a problem when I began salting pre packaged soups and chips. Really though, I need to cut back. Any healthy salt substitutes out there?

KS G.

4:53AM PST on Jan 26, 2012

Thanks for the article.

Kristina C.

11:35AM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Thanks.

Please sign my petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/give-a-pitbull-a-chance/

David D.

11:06AM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Thanks

Elisabeth T.

8:10AM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Good article..

Nancy P.

10:58PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Brands play a large part in salt content; as an example. A friend brought in a can of beans to make a recipe she had made before. I could not eat it because it was too salty. I asked her what she did different and said she bought a cheap, off-brand of beans. The sodium content was horrible. I brought in a can of the same beans of an organic brand, it contained 1/4 of the amount of salt that the off-brand contained. Moral to the story....make your own beans and control the salt!

roseann s.

6:42PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

ty.

Tatiana I.

5:59PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

I've been a salt lover all my life, always salting food everywhere I went even before I had tasted it. Then hypertension reared its ugly head and I was prescribed medication. I decided to cut back on salt in my diet first to see what would happen. I didn't count the sodium content in fresh fruits and vegetables, but only the in canned, frozen, packaged, and processed foods. Yes, in the beginning it was hard. BUT the taste buds and body do really readjust, and soon I was using less and less salt, replacing with herb flavors. Suddenly so many things out there, including foods in restaurants, were tasting much too salty, even though others eating the same foods would find no problem. BOTTOM LINE: My blood pressure has returned to normal and has been there ever since. MORAL OF THE STORY: It's worth trying to reduce sodium intake.