Beware of the Salt Shockers

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Beware of the Salt Shockers

Dozens of foods can drive your sodium consumption way past

recommended levels.

By Kam

WebMD Feature

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

You know salty snacks like chips, pretzels, and crackers are loaded

with sodium. But do you realize most of the salt you consume comes

from the foods you're picking at the grocery store? It's not just the

salt shaker, says Rosemary Yurczyk, MS, RD, CDE, dietitian and

diabetes educator at the University of California Medical

Center in Sacramento.

Government guidelines recommend that people consume less than 2,300

milligrams of sodium per day -- about one teaspoon of salt. So if you

eat three meals a day, you'll want to stay within 800 milligrams of

sodium per meal, Yurczyk says.

Trouble is, it's so easy to go overboard, even if you just want to

add some extra flavor to your poultry or a little sauce over the

pasta. Check out the sodium stats, reported by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture:

Dehydrated onion soup mix (1 packet): 3,132 milligrams

Seasoned bread crumbs (1 cup): 2,111 milligrams

Spaghetti sauce (1 cup): 1,203 milligrams

But what if you just want a cup of soup, or you often microwave a

frozen meal for lunch or dinner? What if you simply must have that

favorite canned veggie side dish your Grandma always served? Check

your numbers:

Canned chicken noodle soup (1 cup): 1,106 milligrams

Frozen turkey and gravy (5 ounces): 787 milligrams

Canned cream-style corn (1 cup): 730 milligrams

Surprised? It doesn't end there.

Be careful with the flavorings you add to the goodies on the barbecue

grill and under the broiler. Perhaps you'd like to drink something

fruity and refreshing? What about that one little sandwich for lunch

or the fact you're known to pack a little more punch on your pizza?

Are there any sodium shockers there?

Teriyaki sauce (1 tablespoon): 690 milligrams

Vegetable juice cocktail (1 cup): 653 milligrams

Beef or pork salami (2 slices): 604 milligrams

Canned jalapeno peppers (1/4 cup, solids and liquids): 434 milligrams

Nutrition labels can help you to judge whether you're looking at a

low-sodium food. According to Yurczyk, here's the breakdown:

Low-sodium food: less than 140 milligrams per serving

Moderate-sodium food: less than 400 milligrams per serving

High-sodium food: more than 400 milligrams per serving

For example, seedless raisins, at 16 milligrams of sodium per cup,

are low-sodium. A piece of angel food cake, at 210 milligrams, is

moderate.

Looking at labels can help you find the sodium in your grocery items.

But realize that the sodium listing is for just one serving size, not

the whole container, Yurczyk cautions. " If you eat two servings,

you'll have to double the amount of sodium. "

Labels can guide you in making better choices within food categories,

too, such as breads and pastries. For instance, a croissant contains

424 milligrams of salt, compared with only 148 milligrams for one

slice of whole-wheat bread.

Dangers Dining Out

Dangers Dining Out

Restaurant dining poses another hazard. If you frequent fast-food

restaurants -- where sodium abounds in sauces, fries, lunch meats,

and even salad dressings -- ask for a nutrition fact sheet, Yurczyk

suggests. That way, you'll get the skinny on how much sodium is

really in that biscuit with egg and sausage: 1,141 milligrams. Or

that 6-inch submarine sandwich with cold cuts: 1,651 milligrams.

" It's a bit scary how much sodium is in fast-food meals, " she says.

Other types of restaurants aren't likely to have nutrition fact

sheets. But Yurczyk says you can still make sodium-sensible choices.

What gets the thumbs down from Yurczyk? " Soup -- in restaurants, it's

not likely to be low-sodium; appetizers with cheese and proscuitto

and processed meats; a casserole with cheese and sausage. "

And the thumbs up? " If you order fish, steamed vegetables, and a

salad on the side, it's not going to be a high-sodium meal. "

The Great Sodium Debate

Hillel Cohen, DrPH, a researcher at the Albert Einstein College of

Medicine in New York, fired the latest salvo in the great sodium

debate. His study shows that people who reported eating limited salt

people who reported eating limited salt were actually 37% more likely

to die of cardiovascular causes, such as stroke and heart disease,

than people who ate larger amounts of salt. Cohen is an associate

professor of epidemiology and population health.

The medical establishment has revered the low-sodium diet for so long

that it's hard to get doctors to question it, he says. Cohen doesn't

bother to follow the conventional wisdom himself. " I actually don't

pay attention to sodium. "

He says his study, which was published in the March American Journal

of Medicine, doesn't mean that everyone should abandon the low-sodium

diet right away. He does say, though, that researchers need to ask if

the current recommendations are truly useful for everyone -- and

whether a low-sodium diet might even have negative effects on health.

Not so fast, says Cutler, MD, a scientific advisor at the

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute who has studied high blood

pressure.

" There's an immense body of evidence that links salt to high blood

pressure, " Cutler says. High blood pressure is a known risk factor

for cardiovascular disease. What's more, people who eat a salt-laden

diet don't just have high blood pressure to worry about. They may

also be courting osteoporosis, kidney stones, and -- as seen in some

Asian countries -- even stomach cancer, he says.

" When you look at all the evidence, the balance is still for the low-

sodium diet, " Cutler says.

Are there any other tips for staying within the 2,300 milligram-limit

per day? Try these:

Take the salt shaker off the table.

Don't add salt to dishes as you're cooking. Instead, try herbs and

sodium-free spices.

Use fresh or frozen foods instead of canned foods. If you buy canned

products, look for low-sodium or unsalted ones.

When you eat out, ask that your meal be prepared without sodium

sources, such as salt, soy sauce, and monosodium glutamate.

Keep a daily record of how much sodium you eat and drink.

And last, when you shake the sodium habit, don't start complaining

too early that your unsalted oatmeal tastes like glue, Yurczyk says.

" Salt is an acquired taste. It takes three weeks to get over it and

then you get used to the natural taste of food. "

Published April 3, 2006.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/120/113890.htm