New Research Gives Another Reason to Reduce Salt Intake

It’s long been known that too much salt intake is linked to an increase in blood pressure leading to a likelier risk of heart attack or stroke, but now there’s another reason why it is recommended to stay away from this white seasoning as much as possible. In a study conducted at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute in New York, high salt consumption was associated with memory and learning difficulties, and the surprising thing is that this problem is due to the brain's connection to the intestines.

The new connection found between the brain and the intestines

When researchers examined the reason behind their study results, which showed that the brain suffered damage after consuming a lot of salt, they found that there was a connection between the small intestine and the brain. The high amount of salt consumed stimulated immune changes in the small intestine, which led to poor blood flow to the brain, thereby impairing cognitive functioning.

If you’ve reached middle age, we have bad news for you - the harmful effect on the brain worsens as the years pass. However, there’s also some good news - when you stop consuming a lot of salt the brain returns to normal function.

So, how can you continue to consume salt and prevent its harmful effects?
You may think that this study’s motive is to encourage people to stop consuming salt, but it really isn’t. You just have to know how to consume it in moderation and in the right quantity for your body. The American Heart Association recommends consuming 2,300 mg of sodium per day or less, which is about a teaspoon of salt, but most people consume more, not necessarily because they add salt to their food, but because a lot of processed food comes packed with sodium. You’re probably consuming more salt than you think and need:

Bread - One slice may not seem to contain too much salt, but it contains 230 mg of sodium, multiply it by the number of slices you eat per day and you’ll find that you consume far more salt than you think.

Pizza - One slice of pizza can contain 760 mg of sodium, but rarely is anyone ever satisfied with only one?

Instant soups and meals - Within a few minutes, you can prepare yourself a serving of about 940 mg of sodium or more, so make sure to check the sodium content before buying these products. Giving them up altogether would be the smart move here.

Cold cuts - 3 grams of turkey cold cuts will put 780 mg of sodium in your body, and the same amount of salami will add about 1,300 mg of sodium to your diet, so it’s recommended to give up the cold cuts. 

Cottage cheese – There’s no need to throw this commodity out of the house, but you should reduce how much you eat of it. One cup of cottage cheese contains 920 mg of sodium, so it is recommended to consume less than this cheese or at least look for its lowered or sodium-free version.

In addition to this, when you cook food at home, control the amount of salt you add to it. If you feel that your food is lacking flavor, add more seasoning ingredients, such as spices or herbs. 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Looking To Cut Back On Sodium? Try These 5 Handy Tips

 Most of us end up eating a lot more sodium than we should. Yes, sodium is an essential nutrient and our body does need a little bit of salt every day to function properly. However, too much salt is harmful to the body, as excessive salt consumption is linked to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. 

Reducing sodium in your everyday diet can definitely help keep your blood pressure stable. Thankfully, you can easily cut down on your sodium intake, and you don’t even have to make lots of diet changes. The fact is, we can easily get around 75% of our daily salt intake from everyday foods like soups, tomato sauce, breakfast cereal, and canned goods. So you don’t necessarily need to add salt to your food just out of habit. Some foods even taste better without it.

If you’re looking for ways to cut down on your sodium intake, these tips will help. 

1. Understand your sodium limit
Before you decided to cut back on your salt intake, it’s important to know what your optimal sodium intake should be. According to the American Heart Association, an ideal limit of sodium should be no more than 2,300 mg per day for most healthy adults. For people with high blood pressure, the recommended limit is 1,500 mg a day.

1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium. Keep this in mind as you plan your daily meals, and make sure that you're not eating too much sodium by unnecessarily adding salt to your foods.

2. Shop for low sodium foods

 

Be smart when you are shopping. Sodium is present in almost all the processed and prepared foods we buy. So, look for low-sodium foods instead of items that are high in sodium.

The foods you should avoid in low-sodium diets include-

Sauces , dressings and condiments.

Instant foods such as flavoured rice / noodles.

Deli meat, fish, poultry- like bacon, cold cuts, ham, frankfurters, sausages and sardines.

Canned beans with added salt.

Frozen meals with bread in them, like burritos and pizzas.

Some great foods that are low in sodium include-

Any fresh fruits/ vegetables like apples, oranges, bananas, spinach, carrot, broccoli.

Cereals, bread and other gains like brown or wild rice, buckwheat or quinoa.

Instead of processed foods, choose foods high in protein like fresh/ frozen fish/ shellfish, chicken/ turkey breasts without skin/ marinade, dried beans and peas/ eggs.

Select unsalted or low-sodium fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.

An important things to remember to keep in mind while grocery shopping is to compare nutrition labels on food packaging and checking the amount of sodium in foods. Read labels carefully and opt for low-sodium products. Watch out for the words “ soda”. “ sodium”, and the symbol “Na” on food labels. These labels indicate that a product contains sodium compounds. Look  for foods labeled “low sodium”, “reduced sodium”, or “ no salt added”.

3. Add more potassium to your diet
Add more potassium to your diet. Eating foods with potassium is known to help lower blood pressure. The American Heart Association says that “the more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose through urine.” They also point out that potassium helps ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps lower the blood pressure even further.

Some good sources of potassium are potatoes, cantaloupes, bananas, beans, milk, and yogurt. Apricots, avocados, fat-free yogurt, mushrooms, peas, and oranges are other examples of potassium-rich foods. The recommended potassium intake for a healthy adult is 3,500–4,700 mg daily.

Bear in mind, though, that patients with kidney disorders should first consult their doctor before adding potassium-rich foods to their diet. When someone is suffering from kidney disease, their kidneys cannot properly remove extra potassium, and too much potassium can then stay in the blood, which can be dangerous.

4.Keep an eye on salt content when eating out

When we are eating out, we don’t normally keep an eye on the salt content in the foods we are served, but we definitely should because restaurant food is often high in sodium. Here are a few helpful tips:

Before you order your meal, ask if there are any low-sodium dishes on the menu.

* While ordering food, be very specific about the way you want it to be prepared and let the server know that you don’t want any extra salt added to your meal.

* Don’t use the salt shaker. Resist the temptation, even if you feel that the food is low in salt.

* Instead of salt, add fresh lemon juice. It’s a much healthier alternative anyway.

5. Cook with less salt

This is perhaps an obvious tip, but not necessarily the easiest one to follow. Many of us are used to adding generous amounts of salt when we cook, but you must learn to resist that urge. First of all, take the salt shaker off your table and start using healthy salt alternatives.

* Try black pepper on pasta, scrambled eggs, or pizza.

* Fresh herbs and spices like ginger or garlic are also a great option for adding to vegetables and meat.

 * Choose some delicious salt-free seasoning alternatives like dry mustard, lemon juice, cumin, green pepper, or bay leaf.

* If you depend a lot on canned foods, make sure you rinse them well before eating or cooking. That should wash away some of the salt.

If you have kidney disease, consult with your doctor about the ideal salt substitute for you.

Remember that if you are used to having a lot of salt in your foods, it will take time for your taste buds to adjust to a low-sodium diet. But don’t give up. Once you have adjusted to this diet, you will realize how healthy it is to be consuming less salt every day, and you won't be tempted to go back to sodium-rich foods ever again.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs