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People are getting tired of mandates. The U.S. government turned its attention to sodium (salt). It put out guidelines for restaurants and food companies on how much sodium they should put in their foods.

Following the guidelines is voluntary.

Salt is behind many diet-related illnesses. America has a love affair with salty foods. It is the reason so many people have high blood pressure. That leads to heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. More than 4 in ten American adults have high blood pressure. Six in ten Black adults have high blood pressure.

A great deal of salt comes from processed and packaged foods. Restaurants are also guilty of serving too much salt.

Guidelines say a healthy diet should have no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt a day.

The link between high blood pressure and serious illness is strong. One study said lowering salt intake by one-sixth of a teaspoon would mean a million fewer strokes and heart attacks a year.

Another study in China showed that using salt substitutes would reduce cardio events.

Most Americans consume one-third more than the recommended amount of 2,300 milligrams of salt a day. The recommended amount for people with high blood pressure is 1,500 milligrams a day.

How much salt does your body need? Experts say a mere 220 milligrams a day.

The human diet is naturally low in salt. Our bodies conserve salt and get rid of potassium. The body holds on to excess salt. High salt diets are an obvious problem.

Salt preserved foods before there were refrigerators. It was valuable enough to be a currency. Now, doctors agree that people should consume less salt.

Getting the food industry and consumers to use less salt is not easy. But at least, consumers can look at food labels to see how much salt there is in the foods they buy.

Some food companies are trying. Campbells canned tomato soup lowered sodium from 760 to 480 milligrams per cup. Nabisco cut the sodium in Wheat Thins from 370 to 180 milligrams an ounce. General Mills reduced the sodium in Wheaties from 370 to 185 milligrams an ounce.

Companies say lowering the sodium in their products works best when they do not advertise it. They say most people do not notice the change.

Experts say do not try to cut out all your salt at once. Consume less of it. Do not put salt in food while you are cooking. You will use less salt after cooking. Citrus juices, hot pepper flakes, and other herbs and spices can make up for less salt.

The biggest salt problem is in restaurant food. Some think voluntary guidelines will not be enough.

Source: The New York Times October 11, 2021

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People are getting tired of mandates. The U.S. government turned its attention to sodium (salt). It put out guidelines for restaurants and food companies on how much sodium they should put in their foods. Following the guidelines is voluntary. Salt is behind many diet-related illnesses. America has a love affair with salty foods.

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