Salt

Posted on Apr 24, 2012 in The Doctor Is In by eParisExtra

Chris Prakash, MD

America has a salt problem. To be more precise,America has a sodium problem. Our high sodium diet may be to blame for a lot of our health issues.

First, let me give you a few facts about our high salt diet:

• The average American consumes more than 3400 mg of sodium daily. Body’s requirement is only 220 mg.
• Eighty percent of the sodium in the American diet comes from processed and restaurant foods.
• Salt added in home cooking and at the table accounts for only a minor proportion of sodium intake.
• The current Dietary Guidelines recommend a maximum of 2300 milligrams (about a teaspoon of salt) for people over age 2, which is much more than we should need.
• Intake of sodium has increased significantly over the last few decades as consumption has risen of processed and restaurant foods (salt is a cheap way to enhance flavor and preserve food).
• When foods like tomatoes and potatoes are processed, not only does the sodium go up, but the potassium in these foods goes way down as well.

How is Sodium harmful?

Sodium intake is directly linked to development of hypertension. So people may think that since they do not have high blood pressure, they don’t have to worry about salt. Well, think again. High sodium intake has been implicated as a probable cause of stomach cancer, and there is also evidence to suggest that it may cause osteoporosis.

Where is the Evidence?

A major study, based on data from more than 12,000 American adults, took into account all risk factors for death from heart disease. The researchers found that while a diet high in sodium increases the risk, even more important is the ratio of sodium (harmful) to potassium (protective) in one’s diet.

People whose meals contained high amounts of sodium relative to potassium, were nearly 50 percent more likely to die from any cause, and more than twice as likely to die from ischemic heart disease during a follow-up period averaging 14.8 years.

Simple Steps to take

• Eat fewer processed foods (especially processed meats), and more fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products (these are low in sodium).
• Increase your potassium intake (examples of potassium rich foods are cantaloupe, bananas, oranges, grapes, grapefruit, blackberries, yogurt, leafy greens, and potatoes).
• Avoid fast-food restaurants, where a single meal can contain a day’s worth of sodium.
• When shopping, read labels and compare products, then choose those with lower sodium.

Follow Finland’s Example

Finlandunderstood the perils of high sodium diet and the impact it can have on the health of its people. Through regulation and voluntary efforts, Finlandmanaged to cut sodium intake of its people by an average of one-third, and remarkably it resulted in a decrease in hypertension and premature deaths from stroke and coronary heart disease.

Dollar Savings

A study by the RAND Corporation tried to estimate what would happen if we were able to reduce the average sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams – the current recommended daily intake – in theUnited States. According to the model, that shift would prevent 11 million cases of high blood pressure and save $18 billion in direct medical costs each year.

That’s a huge public health payoff, similar to what theU.S.would see if Americans cut their tobacco use in half. This seems like a no brainer – cut down sodium for your own health benefits, and consequently save the health care system millions of precious dollars.

This information is strictly an opinion of Dr Prakash, and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Dr Chris Prakash is a contributing columnist, and author of eParisExtra’s “The Doctor is In” column. He is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology Paris. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. He lives in Paris, TX with his wife and two children, and can be reached at 9037850031, or Sucharu.prakash@usoncology.com