Added Salt Equals Added Risk

One of the most frequently used phrases around dinner tables has got to be, “Pass the salt.” It never ceases to amaze me how much salt people use on their food, pouring it onto their soups, stews and frozen entrees—all of which are loaded with salt as is. In fact, salting is so commonplace that I often see people in restaurants covering their food with the stuff before even tasting it!

Of course, we all know the body needs sodium to keep the body’s electrolytes in balance. It plays a vital role in the proper functioning of nerve and muscle cells in the body. But too much of it can be extremely hazardous to your health, most notably causing blood pressure levels to rise, which increases the risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. And if that weren’t enough, a new study places an additional risk in consuming too much sodium.

According to a recent study presented by the American Society for Microbiology, the bacteria that cause peptic ulcers and gastric cancers to form are more aggressive in the presence of excess sodium in the blood.

This aggressive bacterium is called Helicobacter pylori—H. pylori for short—and it’s believed to be the main cause of stomach ulcers and cancers, and is the only microorganism known that can survive in the stomach. Making matters worse, H. pylori often goes untreated because it’s usually an asymptomatic condition (it’s estimated that 2/3rds of the world’s population has H. pylori).

Researchers from the American Society for Microbiology happened on to high sodium/H. pylori link after monitoring the bacterium in lab tests to see how fast it grew. In the process, they noticed that the structure of H. pylori changed when high amounts of salt were surrounding it. Though H. pylori by itself brings with it a significant risk of stomach ulcers, high amounts of salt in the stomach increases that risk by enabling the H. pylori to exist longer than it would under ordinary circumstances (i.e. where sodium levels are normal).

Try replacing the processed salt (sodium chloride) in your saltshaker with unrefined sea salt, which is a much healthier choice. Though it ought to be a given by now, when purchasing some of your favorite organic staples, look for those foods are low in sodium. Amy’s Kitchen has tons of foods that aren’t only organic, but are also low in sodium. For instance, Amy’s Kitchen has 11 different varieties of soup that are all low in sodium, half the sodium content of Amy’s regular variety of soups—340 mg per serving vs. 680 mg per serving. That may sound like a lot, but Amy’s regular variety is more than 100 mg of sodium lower than many of Progresso’s varieties.

Amy’s low sodium varieties don’t stop at soups, though. There are several varieties of frozen entrees that are also low in sodium, like Amy’s Veggie Loaf, Vegetable Lasagna, and Enchiladas.

Of course, Amy’s isn’t the only organic frozen entrée option that there is. It just happens to be one of my favorites. Take a look around the natural food aisle of your local supermarket for appetizing low sodium foods, and give those salt and pepper shakers a rest.