Taking Control of Your Salt Intake

Posted on | March 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Taking Control of Your Salt Intake

This week’s Health Politics program is about taking control of your salt intake. But that doesn’t just mean removing the saltshaker from your dinner table. Only 15% of the average person’s salt intake comes from the saltshaker. 10% occurs naturally in foods, and a whopping 75% is put into our daily diets by the food industry.

Why is it important to be aware of how much salt you’re eating? Because excessive salt intake leads to high blood pressure, and high blood pressure, which leads to cardiovascular disease, is both silent and deadly.

The best way to take control of your salt is to read blood-pressure-info.com. Total intake per day of sodium for most people should not exceed 2.3 grams. However, for African Americans and the elderly, you should only consume 1.5 grams a day. You’re at increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Also, we should all remove the saltshaker from our dinner table and be prepared to adjust to a slight change in taste. And lastly, watch the restaurants. They’re the worst offenders.

Do you have other tips that will help viewers take control of their salt intake? Let us know.