FDA waking up to sodium risks
Posted April 10th, 2008 by Erin KaeseIt should come as no surprise that shaking extra salt on food is a BAD idea.
First, nearly all of us (who doesn’t?) consume some processed or pre-packaged foods–nearly all of which have some, or a ton, of sodium. Everything from bread and cereals, to chips and crackers, to canned goods to frozen meals contain anywhere from 5% to 45% of an individual’s recommended sodium intake–PER SERVING. (My beloved Peanut Butter Puffins deliver 230 mg, or 10% of the RDA in a 3/4 cup serving, which is about 1/5 of what I’ll typically savor each night.)
Second, excessive salt consumption is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and other bad stuff. Some experts even rank sodium higher on the “bad food list” over trans fats and saturated fats and believe limiting sodium to the RDA could save 150,000 lives each year.
Third, it’s not the salt shaker addiction that is the problem, it’s the American diet. And the FDA’s recent announcement that it may remove salt from the list of foods considered to be safe, is further substantiation that the Food Police are waking up to the fact that this is serious business.
So how much of the white stuff is okay? The American Heart Association recommends daily intake under 2,300 milligrams which amount to ONE measly teaspoon! Keeping salt intake under this level is no easy feat, even if you consider yourself a healthy eater. Check out our previous article about how a seemingly healthy day of eating by an athlete can still put you way over the limit.
But what will removing salt from the safe foods list really do? Think of the fall-out from all the press about the dietary evils of trans fats and saturated fats. Food manufacturers will have to re-label, limit the amount of salt in products and likely remarket many items. The upside is that we will all be made VERY aware of how much salt is in the foods we eat and the risks associated with exceeding the RDA for it. The hope of course is that a broad recognition that salt is dangerous at certain levels will help Americans eat better and more wisely.
I think the press on trans fats have had an impact. Restaurants have started to ban them, food companies have reformulated their recipes and Americans are more aware of the importance of food labeling. Major changes in the way we eat and more importantly “taste” can happen. I’ve already noticed many more low-salt or no-salt added food items at the store. The problem is that I find myself reaching for the shaker…
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