| Man Made Salt: New Push on Dangers of Excessive Refined Salt |
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| Sodium - Sodium 2006 |
| Written by Frank Mangano |
| Monday, 07 August 2006 02:41 |
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Here are three more reasons to avoid processed foods: artificial salt, artificial salt and did I mention artificial salt? According to the American Medical Association, 150,000 lives could be saved annually if people cut their salt intake in half. But thanks to restaurant fare and processed food manufacturers’ overkill on salt additives in their products, Americans are consuming quadruple the amount of the recommended salt intake. In light of this, and in the spirit of the mid-term elections, the AMA is on a campaign trail of their own. The difference being that their campaigning focuses on the restaurants and processed foods voting bloc. And with any luck, the AMA hopes their health policy will be compelling enough for food companies to voluntarily reduce the amount of sodium in their dishes and store bought items by 50 percent over the next decade. The AMA’s reasoning behind the campaign is over a proven health hazard: diets high in sodium lead to high blood pressure, a precursor to the leading cause of preventable death in America, heart disease. But despite this, Americans are eating at restaurants now more than ever and on-the-go foods are as popular as ever. Some food companies have tried to lower the amount of sodium in their foods, labeling them as “low sodium” so as to inform consumers of their proactive approach. But even the lower sodium foods have high amounts of sodium. Many of the leading soups on the market today, trumpeting claims of “low sodium” on their labels, contain the requisite amount of sodium needed in a day (i.e. ¼ teaspoon). And that’s just the beginning. Consider that the amount of sodium in a serving of Cheerios has more sodium than a serving of Ruffles Potato Chips. Or that a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese has nearly half a teaspoon of salt. Thankfully, high blood pressure readings are a good indicator that our diets are too rich in sodium. But because blood pressure readings tend to rise with age, some people may attribute their high blood pressure to that factor alone and become more at risk for a heart attack by failing to curb their habits (a 1997 study out of Scotland discovered that women with high sodium diets were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than their low-sodium counterparts). The obvious solution to this is cutting back on eating out at restaurants and consuming more foods that need preparation, such as lean meats and vegetables. The AMA is going after restaurants and processed food companies because they believe most Americans aren’t willing to change their diets. And based on the growing number of people opting for dining out and ready-to-eat meals, they’re right. But because food industries are in the business of making money and cutting back on salt may lead to decreased sales, don’t count on the food industry complying with the AMA’s requests any time soon. Meanwhile, don’t mistake sodium as an entirely bad thing. We need to consume sodium for blood clotting, proper heart function, muscle contraction and fluid balance. It’s the excessive amounts of refined salt that are killing us. I want you to keep in mind that all sodium IS NOT the same. Table salt is highly refined where as unrefined sea salt is naturally occurring and contains essential minerals including calcium and magnesium. The problem here is that the food industry isn't using naturally occurring unrefined sea salt... They're using artificially created table salt which can cause serious health problems, especially when consumed in excessive amounts. Folks I hope you're getting the big picture here! Perhaps the food industry will comply and start cutting back on sodium, but I’ll take that optimistic view with a grain of salt. Here’s a special F-R-E-E 38 page report titled, “The Best Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure, Reduce Your Waistline and Take Back Your Health:”
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