We all love our salt, in fact we love it so much that we’re consuming unhealthy amounts of salt in food that far exceed public health recommendations. The latest Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States, is urging the FDA to set new federal standards for the amount of salt that food makers, restaurants and food service companies can use in their products.
In 2008 Congress asked IOM for ways to reduce salt intake to the levels recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the just released report is the consensus of an expert panel.
“If you look at salt intake over a number of decades, it has not gone down despite a number of efforts and it is still at a very high level,” says Jane E. Henney, MD, chair of the IOM’s Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake and a professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati.
Many doctors and consumer watchdog groups were pleased by the IOM report, though industry groups were not. The Salt Institute, a group out of Alexandria Virginia, prefers voluntary efforts, although after four decades of such efforts admits there’s little to show for it.
Lowering our salt intake to more reasonable levels could bring down high blood pressure, while also improving health in many other ways. In the end perhaps saving one hundred thousand lives a year in the U.S. alone.
According to the IOM report, today the average American consumes more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium (equal to 8.5 grams or about 1.5 teaspoons) a day. That’s way over the maximum intake – 2,300 milligrams – established under the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. An intake of 1,500 milligrams per day is considered ”adequate” by the stricter Institute of Medicine standards.
The IOM recommends that the U.S. FDA slowly cut the amount of salt that can be added to meals at restaurants, or found in foods and drinks. By working the changes in gradually, consumers will have time to adapt to the different taste. While no exact time frame is given as part of the report, the authors urge the agency to consider reducing salt as an urgent public health issue.
So what’s the FDA got to say?
In a news release, the agency says it plans to “more thoroughly review the recommendation of the IOM report and build plans for how the FDA can continue to work with other federal agencies, public health and consumer groups, and the food industry to support the reduction of sodium levels in the food supply.” But the FDA isn’t working on regulations, nor have they made a decision to regulate the sodium content in foods – this in reaction to news reports that the regulation effort had already begun.
A Washington, D.C. based watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called the study recommendations “groundbreaking”. Food produces like ConAgra Foods have pledged to cut salt across its products by 20% in 2015.
Whether the FDA acts or not, what can you do to cut your salt intake? Plenty!
- Buying lower sodium (or no sodium) soups, frozen foods, canned foods and snacks whenever possible.
- Add flavor to foods with herbs and spices like garlic, oregano, basil, pepper, thyme and sesame rather than using salt.
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Danger: Experts Warn of Serious Health Risks From Salt… Continued…
- Remember, “low fat” or “low calorie” does not mean healthy, often manufacturers add sodium as a flavor enhancer.
- Eat food in the most natural state possible, choose fresh or frozen over canned.
- Avoid olives, pickles and other items packed in brine, as well as smoked or cured meats (salami and bologna).
- Check comparable items for salt content and buy the lower sodium option.
- Cut back on fast food, as this has more than just fat, it also can have more than the daily recommended intake of sodium, consumed in a single serving.
- Cut back on your intake processed foods.
- Divide the amount of salt called for in a recipe and add only the smallest portion possible, then salt to taste as you go.
- Use salt only where you want the biggest flavor boost.
While reducing your own added salt in food might take some getting used to from a taste perspective, it is a sure way to keep your weight under control, your heart healthy and your body strong today and for years to come.
To your good health,
Kirsten Whittaker
Daily Health Bulletin Editor
