William Penn Life, 2010 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-03-01 / 3. szám
HealthPage The salty stuff Salt, blood pressure and your health from News In Health The National Institutes of Health SALT IS ESSENTIAL to our body's fluids. That's likely why we evolved to enjoy its taste. On the other hand, anyone who's gotten a mouth full of seawater knows that too much salt tastes terrible. Maybe your body's trying to tell you something. It turns out that too much salt can lead to a host of health problems. "The best known effect of sodium on health is the relationship between sodium and blood pressure," explains Dr. Catherine Loria of National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dozens of studies, in both animals and people, have shown that a higher salt intake raises blood pressure. Reducing salt intake, on the other hand, lowers blood pressure. Some research also suggests that excessive salt intake might increase the risk of stomach cancer. Scientists continue to investigate this possible connection. About one in three adults nationwide has high blood pressure right now. Another third have "prehypertension," meaning their blood pressure numbers are high enough to put them at risk to develop high blood pressure. Experts recommend that people take in less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day-that's what's in about six grams of salt, or about a teaspoon. People with high blood pressure should shoot for 1,500 milligrams or less-about 3.7 grams of salt. But right now, the average man in the United States takes in over 10 grams of salt per day and the average woman over seven. Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California, San Francisco, recently led an NIH- funded study that explored the effects of a modest reduction in salt intake in the United States. The researchers found that reducing salt intake by three grams per day could cut the number of new cases of heart disease each year by as many as 120,000, stroke by 66,000 and heart attack by nearly 100,000. It could also prevent up to 92,000 deaths each year. Women would particularly benefit from reductions in stroke, older adults from a decline in heart disease and younger adults from fewer deaths. Some countries have begun to tackle this problem using various strategies, such as working with industry to reduce the salt content in processed foods, requiring labels on ready-to-eat foods and educating the public. The UK has achieved a 10 percent reduction in salt consumption over the past four years. But wouldn't we all miss the taste? "Several studies have shown that as you gradually reduce sodium intake, you lessen your desire for salty food," Loria says. And surveys of Health Links For tips on reducing your salt intake, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s “Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet” web page at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/ sodium/sodium.htm Beyond salt, a healthy eating plan can help keep your blood pressure under control. Check out NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ public/heart/hbp/dash people across the UK have found that most people didn't notice any difference in the taste of their food. "A very modest decrease in the amount of salt, hardly detectable in the taste of food, can have dramatic health benefits for the U.S.," Bibbins- Domingo stresses. The salt we sprinkle on our food actually accounts for less than 10 percent of our salt consumption. Most of the salt we eat comes in processed foods from stores, restaurants and dining halls. You already know that fast food, cold cuts and canned foods tend to have a lot of salt. "Many people don't realize that a lot of our salt is from breads and cereals," Bibbins-Domingo says. Studies have found that over 20 percent of the salt in the average American's diet comes from grain products, such as breads, cereals, crackers and chips. "I think the best guidance we have is for people to pay attention to nutrition facts on the labels," Loria says. "The percent daily value is a better guide than the language that's used on food labels like 'low-salt.' These labels can be confusing because they have very defined technical meanings." Try to select foods with less than five percent of the daily value of salt per serving. Even small reductions can have an effect on your blood pressure. If you can't find a low-salt alternative to a particular food, it still helps to pick something that's lower than what you're already consuming. "You can find remarkable variation in the amount of salt across major brands of food," Bibbins-Domingo says. "Even without choosing something labeled Tow sodium,' you can often find a lower sodium alternative." |wpl] 6 William Penn Life, March 2010
