Salt: New Research

Video: Hold the Salt

Some of the foods we consume have a considerable amount of salt which we may not have any idea of how to measure. How much salt is safe? This ABC Evening News report caught my eye when it was broadcast a couple of weeks ago. The video above cites new research which claims that: "If Americans cut 3 grams of daily salt intake, 92,000 lives could be saved."

How much do we know about the numerology of salt?

interesting point of view... moderation seems, once again, to be the key. it always turn to the same issue: processed foods are full of crap, and have to be avoided. a pinch of salt in a homemade dish won't kill anybody. Thanks for sharing Info!

I've never paid too much attention to salt so don't really know much about it at all. However, I find it interesting that while the report above encourages a 3 gram reduction in the daily consumption of salt, the daily recommendations in the U.S. and the U.K. for salt consumption are for it not to exceed 1.5 to 2 grams per day *in total.*. We must be consuming an awful lot of salt without knowing it. Note that the report implies that legislation along the lines of what we have seen in the tobacco industry may become necessary to bring down the amount of salt we are consuming to safe levels.

"Your salt shaker is not the biggest culprit! Most of the salt we eat - almost 80% - comes from packaged, processed and store-bought food, and from restaurant meals (including fast food). Only about 10% of the sodium in our diet comes from salt we add during cooking or at the table. The rest of the sodium is found naturally in food." - New York City Deparment of Health

I try to stay under 2400 mgs a day, and have my FS settings choosing to show sodium in my food diary. You can really tell, at a glance, how much those processed foods add up during the day! Thanks for sharing the info, info!

food contains naturally some sodium, this organic form of sodium is digestible and "good for you". then there is the mineral sodium, which is the salt, and this one can be harmful, IF in too big quantities. you're right Info, isn't it unbelievable to ask people a 3 grams reduction to reach a normal consomption of salt, around 2 grams? hard to believe that food industry decided to kill people for money, and people chose to kill themselves by laziness...

jessy: I wasn't aware of the distinction between the natural and the mineral forms of sodium. That's interesting and important to know.