Maybe don't pass the salt ...
Did you know that adding salt to your meal is associated with a lower life span and you're much more vulnerable to a higher risk for early death?
Yep. A new study looked at more than 500,000 people in the UK who responded to a questionnaire between 2006 and 2010 about their salty habits. Researchers were looking at how much salt was added after the meals were cooked, according to a finding published in the European Heart Journal in July.
Researchers followed up with participants about nine years later and found that people who added more salt to their meals had a greater chance of early death. Those people consuming high levels of salt could lower their risk by eating more fruit and vegetables.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than 2,3000 milligrams of salt per day, with the ideal limit being 1,500 milligrams per day. Consuming too much salt raises blood pressure, which can cause heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
The UK National Health Services recommends that adults should only have an intake of about a teaspoon a day.
It is important to note that even if you don't add any salt to your plate, you may already be getting more sodium than you should be. Cutting back dietary sodium helped reduce blood pressure in those with existing hypertension, and even in those who were not yet at risk.
Manufactured foods these days often use salt for flavor, texture, color, and preservation. (More than 70% of the sodium in American diets comes from what has already been added by the food industry to their products!)
“Most of my patients do not add salt at the dinner table, but they also don’t realize that bread rolls, canned vegetables, and chicken breasts are among the worst culprits (of high sodium) in the US”
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You will have the most control over the salt shaker while making your meal — and more often, by reading the ingredients on your products and substituting herbs and spices — without the salt.