Drop the salt and nobody gets hurt

Don’t take this medical advice with a grain of salt.

Los Angeles County public health officials say many of us are getting way too much sodium in our daily diets—most of it from processed food or restaurant meals. Those salty snacks and meals are feeding more than just hunger; they’re also fueling high blood pressure levels that are leading to serious health consequences here and across the country.

Jumping on board the National Salt Reduction Initiative led by New York City, county health officials are urging people to trim their salt intake by reading nutrition labels carefully, preparing more fresh foods at home and finding ways to cook with less salt.

If everyone in the county reduced their daily sodium content by 20%—about the amount found in a half cup serving of canned chicken noodle
soup—that would be enough to stave off 52,629 hypertension cases here and save $102 million in annual health care costs, county researchers say in a new report. As it stands now, the average Angeleno is consuming 50% more sodium each day than the 2,300 mg, or one teaspoon, that’s recommended. The advisable amount is lower (2/3 of a teaspoon, or 1,500 mg) for people with high blood pressure, those over 40 and African Americans, who are at higher risk for hypertension.

Cutting down “is worth doing. There’s no downside in reducing sodium,” says Dr. Tony Kuo, director the Public Health Department’s Office of Senior Health.

Salt intake has increased significantly over the past 30 years, contributing to widespread high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to problems ranging from heart attacks and strokes to kidney failure. Some 48% of county residents between the ages of 45 and 64 have hypertension, as do 65% of those over 65, the report says.

Troublingly, young people between the ages of 8 and 17 also are experiencing higher blood pressure these days, with the increases greatest among African American and Latino children.

The good news is that most diners won’t even notice what they’re missing if they phase out salt gradually. “The trick,” Kuo says, “is not to abruptly reduce the sodium.”

The department is even providing some links to low-salt recipes. Lemon and fresh herbs, anyone?

Posted 9/22/10